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Smiling I laughed softly as we traveled swiftly through the forest floor. Each one of us trying to be faster than the other as we raced towards the clearing that we knew was nearby. Legs burning as we fought to be faster and faster, as our purser was closing in, dark eyes gleaming as branches swayed in the gentle wind.
Beams of light shooting down from above as leaves sheltered dark shadows from the bright sun. A barrage of green leaves danced across the ground before us, tauntingly golden eyes stared at me as I strained to get ahead.
Leaping forward, I ducked under a black-blurred figure. Rolling across the damp ground as familiar hazel eyes widened in shock as I landed on top of them. Sputtering, they tried to crawl out of the low brush they had hid in, but I pulled them back in as the black figure searched for movement.
Dark predatory gaze searching for unsuspecting prey. Frustrated, he kicked up a barrage of dirt, ignoring his twin tensing up, as his golden gaze narrowed in anticipation.
To my right I spotted the girl with russet red hair, and dark eyes, charge forward as the black figure was momentarily distracted by the discovery of fresh footprints. Then with a quick snarl he tackled the girl as he declared one down and eight more to go. The one with the golden eyes sighed in boredom, as he guided the girl to the 'captured zone.'
Narrowing my eyes at the two other people prowling closer to the black flag that waved lazily in the wind. Green eyes caught my gaze and winked mockingly, while the other kept his eyes on the prize.
Turning to my right, I addressed the small boy that I had 'saved.' Voice soft, as I grumbled under my breath,"Damnit, Haru is down and that baka is going to give us away. Ne, Shiro you want to team up?"
Light grey eyes curved into small crescents as he nodded. Grasping my hand, he pointed towards the dark-haired figure, as his brother paced lazily behind him. Then whispered into my ear of our next course of action, "We should take the west flank, as that seems to be less closely guarded by the twins."
Every action was familiar, every movement. As I watched the two idiots go down, when me and little Shiro leaped up at our chance to 'capture the flag.' When a dark figure tackled me down onto the hard rocky ground, as Shiro waved the black flag over his head proclaiming oh-so-proudly his win.
When that night we ate a filling and delicious meal made by Haru, then watching as the day faded into the sunset pinks and purples, the blues and blacks of night. As slowly, we left to return back to our dorms.
Yes, it was so familiar, and it was no surprise when I finally woke up from that sweet dream. The sound of distant gun-shots rousing me from my unconsciousness. I was uncomfortably sticky, as dried blood stuck to wet clothes. Groaning, I tried to shift into a more comfortable position as bruises ached annoyingly.
Several loud bangs jolted me into full consciousness as the guards around me fell dead. A hand pressed against my wrist as a blurred face spoke to me. Blood splattered against my face the man fell limp onto me. A harsh voice shouted and the body was pulled roughly off.
Panting heavily as a hand roughly pulled my head upwards, gazes locking, I stared emptily as the blurred world focused.
Golden eyes stared into mine as messy black hair stuck up in odd angles. His face was scrunched up in worry as tender hands stroked my face.
Ah, I'm probably dead, or else I wouldn't be seeing him. Tiredly, I smiled back at that familiar face. There was a grimace as blood stained his pale hand. Pulling back, he stared down at me. Hardened eyes softened to a familiar gold color as confusion entered his voice.
"What are you doing here? You're not supposed to be here, that wasn't a part of the plan."
Those words jerked me into shock. What?
He was alive.
He was alive.
He knew.
And he left me. He left me and...
"What happened? Who did this to you?"
It hurt.
It hurt to watch that face, the face of what I thought was a dead person, worry about me. Then to know, that the person that had died 'first.' Would be the one to die last.
Leaning away from that familiar touch, away from him.
I let the cold sink in.
Glaring, I stared into those traitorous eyes. Panting heavily as everything became so much harder, so difficult. It was harder to breathe, it was harder to feel comfortable, it was harder to stay away. From those eyes—
The ones I had wanted to see everyday and apologize. To say 'I'm sorry.' But who am I to fall weak-kneed in the face of a traitor?
A traitor.
A hand stroked my face.
"Maa, you never let go of your grudges. Do you?"
Then across the room, far away, somebody yelled.
"GET AWAY FROM HER YOU MONSTER!!!!!!"
That voice.
That voice was one I knew well as I had seen him grow up. The child of two of my friends, my student, my family. There was confusion in my old friend's voice as he questioningly spoke something to me.
I didn't understand it as it all blurred into darkness. Smiling at that face that faded in and out, I whispered my last few words.
"I'm sorry."
Then I knew no more.
~
When the moon reached a midpoint in the sky, a band of traders hailing from the distant Northern lands of ice and snow, lumbered through the quiet forest.
They had hoped to trade with some of the more Southern people. Fur coats, a few common healing herbs, and delicately made adornments such as little decorative crowns and hair pins made of silver, gold, jade, embroidery for more simpler things such as rice and timber.
From a land of snow and ice, an overabundance of things such as trees was nonexistent. They did have smaller herbs and cold, darker-based plants but they were harder to trade with despite their rarity and worth in the South. Meats such as fish, seal, or caribou would not last the journey unless dried. Nor would they share the seeds of edible of their hardy crops and fruit-trees, for those were precious and their Southern counterpart would just sell it back to them for twice the price.
No need to share the rare delicacies that was theirs and theirs alone.
Yet the one thing they had an overabundance of was snow and precious stones and metals. Whole mountains were rich in gold and silver, diamonds and precious stones were in abundance, but these things were not edible.
Food from the South was prized for the richness the food had. They had such a diverse range of foods and their uses. In fact, they were abundant enough, to waste it as though food were not something that was fought for. Gained through hardship, but something that was always there. Yet this worked in favor of the North, whom not always had such abundant harvests.
The traders sent this year had come during quite an abundant year.
The harvest was indeed abundant this year, abundant enough for this particular caravan to let its members get drunk with alcohol as they celebrated along with people in the South. Enjoying their festivities as they prepared to head back home. Only their leader was sober, and that's because he was a lightweight!
So it was with a grumble that the only lightweight in that caravan dragged another unconscious drunk back to their own individual wagons. Grumbling under his breath as he threw him in.
"You owe me so much. Urgh, you're so heavy. Now there you go you big fatso."
With a heave the man shoved the drunk onto his bed, padded with fur and surrounded by trinkets traded and bought, it was like a den. Sighing he rested on a nearby stone rock, breathing heavily from practically dragging his entire crew of drunk men back to their own sleeping nooks and spots.
Ready to enjoy the relief of sleep, he started the long journey back to his own wagon. Wondering where he'll sleep as his wagon was filled with engagement gifts, that he had bought himself, for his dear Mitsuki. Sighing, he started wandering back but a gleaming light caught his eye.
A trail of moonlight led into the dark woods.
Being a stout believer that if Fate comes knocking on your door, there's no need to deny it. Not if you don't want to deal with the repercussions of it. Last time he heard something like this happened, and the guy that denied the obvious signs of Fate and Prophecies and the like, was plagued with bad luck till his death bed.
And he needs all the good luck he can get if he's going to spend the rest of his life with that spitfire that is his future bride. That is, if he wants at least, even if barely edible food and a long life filled with happiness that is.
So as he stood there staring at the trail of moonlight. He muttered a low, 'damnit,' and followed the glowing trail of moonlight. Having passed the same boulder about five times already, he decided to just turn around. Except, a quiet whimper drew his attention.
Turning around again, he saw a rock...no, a bundle of something on a rock. Looking closer, the bundle seemed to be a small child wrapped in black clothe embroidered with silvery string. The cloth was beautiful, but was like camouflage as it blended into the shadows.
"Alright, that baby bundle definitely wasn't here before."
Staring at the baby, he quickly checked its gender before looking away hotly. Ears burning as he just thought of what his mother would say after he looked at a girl, let alone if he brought a baby like this home. So searching around, he found a small amulet made of rich green jade, it looked like imperial green jadeite, but that's impossible, his luck isn't that good. The amulet seemed authentic though, well might as well say it was a parting gift from her parents, for when people asked questions.
He knows what it's like to be an orphan, and he knows the pain of wanting parents. People whom would care for you, help you, guide you, and be happy because you are their child and... No need to make this kid feel abandoned like he felt years ago.
"When did-? Ah, I'm not going to question it."
So with the dubiously found baby girl, he started heading back to his caravan and wondered how his bride would react to the baby he brought home.
"Damnit, I'm lost."
The same trail of moonlight.
"Thanks whoever is up there."