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| ‘the meeting' The green valley was quiet and still in the late afternoon. A rabbit hopped across the grass to a particularly succulent-looking patch of clover and began to nibble. Then he paused and raised his ears. Li held his breath. After a moment's deliberation, the rabbit decided there was no danger and concentrated on his food again. The young man slowly, very slowly, raised his crossbow and took aim. Almost there… There was a faraway shout, and a tremor beneath his feet of hooves. Startled, the rabbit took flight and disappeared with a flash of his white tail. Li groaned and stood. His muscles were aching after crouching so still for a long time, and he carefully shook the sleep out of his legs. Too damn noisy. Things have just been too damn noisy here lately; it's impossible to get any decent hunting done. He was about to shoulder his bow when he frowned. Was it his imagination, or was there someone there? Crouching, trying to blend in with the silhouette of the tree but miserably failing at it. Yes, there was definitely someone there. Someone who had something to hide, and Li didn't like that at all. Those sorts of people usually meant trouble. Cautiously he backed out of the visual range of his mysterious visitor, putting the tree between them. Then softly, very softly, he began to creep closer. He'd grown up in this valley, knew every twig, every rock beneath his feet. He was around the tree and holding his knife against her neck before she even knew what was happening. "Oh gods," she squealed. "Please don't hurt me!" "Are you the reason I lost my dinner?" "I didn't mean to make any noise, I'm sorry if I scared you - " "Trust me, I'm not scared," Li assured her. He pressed the edge of his blade up underneath her chin and she gave a choking gasp. Li frowned a little. Who was this? She obviously wasn't from around here; he would have remembered a face like that. And yet she did seem a little familiar. Those frightened green eyes spoke to him. Where had he seen those green eyes before? "Who are you, and why are you on my land?" "I didn't mean to be; I'm sorry. I promise I'm not a thief." Cautiously she swallowed. "Please just let me go on my way. I'm a little rushed - " The hoofbeats suddenly became louder underneath their feet, and Li swore colorfully. Whoever they were, they'd come over the ridge and were making their way down the path, right towards them. They'd be scaring the game away for miles. But if he was annoyed, she looked terrified. "Oh no," she whispered. "Please, you've got to let me go. You've got to let me hide." "I don't ‘got to' anything." "Please. I'm begging you." She looked absolutely desperate, and Li felt a touch of pity. He didn't owe this girl anything, but whoever it was that she was so frightened of was almost there. Not quite sure why, he sheathed his knife and bent over. "Step into my hands." "What?" "Come on, already. You want to hide or don't you?" Timidly she stepped into the cradle of his interlocked fingers, and he hoisted her upwards into the tree. She squealed in surprise, but grabbed the nearest branch and swung upwards. She was graceful and quick, Li noted appreciatively, and she pulled herself up through the branches, disappearing into the early spring foliage. She was not a moment too soon. Five horses tore into the small clearing, carrying soldiers on their backs. There had been a lot more of these soldiers around lately, he'd been seeing those uniforms rather more than he would have liked. Men wearing those uniforms tended to look at him with arrogant, sneering expressions on their faces, much like these five were doing now. He glared back and waited for one of them to speak. "Boy," one of them barked. "Have you seen a girl pass through this valley today? Short brown hair, green eyes?" "No." "No sir," one of the other soldiers corrected him. Li remained silent. "You'd better pray you're speaking the truth," the first one threatened. "By the order of our lord and leader, for the security of our kingdom, the princess must be found and returned to her home." Li raised his eyebrows slightly. Princess? "I'll ask again." The solder drew his sword and prodded his steed a little closer to Li. "If you value your life, peasant, you'll tell all. Have you seen this woman?" "I told you that I hadn't," Li said coldly. "If you ask again, I'll say the same thing." He was looking directly into the man's eyes, his chin high and his back straight. "Well, well. Prideful, aren't we?" Lazily the man waved his sword in front of Li's face. "You should think twice about such brazenness with soldiers of the kingdom. Perhaps I should teach you a lesson." "Come on then, Mero," one of his compatriots spoke up impatiently. "We can't waste our time on this simpleton. She's getting away as we speak." Li's eyes had never left the man's face, not even to focus on the swordtip before his eyes. Reluctantly, the leader nodded and sheathed his sword. "Some other time, perhaps." He jerked his head back toward the path that they'd come down. "She didn't come down this way after all. Let's go." They all turned their mounts and retreated out of the clearing. Their leader paused to smirk at Li. "Be careful, peasant," he said teasingly. "Be fearful. There are new rules in the kingdom now." He spat at Li, who didn't flinch, then reared and turned to follow his men. Only after the hoofbeats had completely died away did he speak. "You can come down now." She swung down to the lowest branch and dropped onto the ground, landing none too steadily on her feet. "Thanks, I - " Her words were cut off as he gripped her neck in one hand, squeezing her larynx. "You want to tell me why I risked my life just now?" "Um, thanks," she said hopefully. "You're very welcome," he muttered sarcastically. "Your highness." He released his hold and she backed away timidly. "I'm sorry," she said again. "I didn't mean to put you in danger. We'll be on our way now." We? "Madison?" she asked. "Kero? You can come out now." A second girl about the same age as the first rolled out from underneath the cover of some dense bushes. "Sakura! Thank goodness, I was so scared that time!" She crawled to her feet and embraced the first girl in a fierce hug. "I thought they had us." "Me too. Kero, that settles it. No more transforming into your other form. I don't know how or who, but Nikolai has a mage working for him. Someone that can pinpoint magical energy." "That's how they're tracking us all right," someone agreed. Li's eyes opened wide with surprise when a tiny golden bear poked his head out of a satchel, slung over the second girl's shoulder. "This makes things difficult." "Like they weren't already?" "Good point." Sakura reached to brush some of her hair back from her face. "We'll just have to deal with it. Meanwhile, we can't stay here any longer. Maybe we should try to retrace our steps to that ridge. They won't be expecting us to be right behind them. Will they?" "I don't think so. Come on." They both turned away to go, but Sakura stumbled and almost collapsed when a new onset of dizziness hit her. Madison caught her just in time. "Sakura? Sakura!" "I'm fine." "No, you're not." Madison turned to look over her shoulder. The stranger that had threatened Sakura with a knife had turned away and was walking to where he'd left his bow on the ground. "Hey! Wait, you have to help us!" "That's the second time that someone's told me I have to do something in the last ten minutes. I think I'd done my duty for the day." Li kicked his bow up from the ground and caught it neatly in one hand, then rested it on his shoulder. "Good luck avoiding those soldiers. Anybody coming up over that ridge will be visible for miles, just so you know." "Wait, please. She hasn't eaten in three days, neither of us have." "Yeah?" "She can't go on like this. If you could spare anything…" Madison wilted under his glare, but Sakura needed to eat. "Please. We don't have any money, or I would offer you some, but - " "I wouldn't take it anyway." Li turned his back and started down the side of the valley. As if money really mattered in a place like this. "Hey!" That little creature popped up in front of his face, and Li took a startled step backward. That thing can fly? "Listen up, kid. This is your leader we're talking about. Princess of your country. Are you just going to let her starve to death, or what?" "I don't have any leader except for myself," Li snapped. "She's not my princess." He tried to step around, but the flying bear would have none of that. "You don't know what she's been through in the past couple of weeks." "Nor do I care." "Kero, no." Sakura had to force herself to stand up right and focus on her guardian. "We don't need his help, I'll be fine. Leave him alone." "But, Sakura - " both of her friends protested. "We'll be fine. Come on, we should try to find a place to hide until nightfall. Then we can slip out of this valley unnoticed, I think." Madison narrowed her eyes at the woodsman. "You said this was your land. I bet you know all the good places to hide." "Of course I do. Doesn't mean I'm going to help you." Kero crossed his arms and twitched his tail thoughtfully. "Listen kid, you've got every reason to. If those soldiers find her here, they'll assume you knew she was here. They'll come back here and kill you." He'd thought that would at least strike a little fear in the man's eyes, but he just uttered a scornful laugh. "I'd like to see them try. Now get out of my way." "Kero! I said to leave him alone!" Sakura glared at him and turned on her heels. "Now come on. We have to - " The sudden movement had been too much, and a curtain of black fell on the world. "Sakura!" Madison shrieked as her friend buckled and crashed to the ground. "Oh, Sakura, wake up!" Anxiously she patted her face. "Sakura, please." "She needs water," Li said shortly. Without her realizing it, he'd crossed the clearing to stand by them. "Here. Take this." He shoved his bow into her hands, then knelt and scooped up the young woman in his arms. She was far too light; Li suspected that it had been more than three days since she'd eaten. "I can't have the two of you fainting all over the place in broad daylight. That's more trouble than I need. Come on." He began again in the direction he'd been walking, descending the rather steep grade of the valley with ease. Madison had trouble keeping up, weak as she was, but relief gave her a little strength. Maybe they would be all right after all. Already this man had done more for them than anyone else had in the past two weeks. Has it only been two weeks? It feels like a year. What a nightmare it's been. They couldn't have walked more than twenty minutes, but Madison was near collapsing herself by the time they finally reached level ground. Kero was weak too, and had given up flying to ride on her shoulder. They were both relieved when the tiny cabin hove into view. It was a rough but sturdy-looking dwelling, and embers glowed in a banked fire out front. The picture was cozy and serene, and Madison sighed as she dropped to her knees on the grass. Perhaps here they would be safe. Li set the girl gently down on the ground, then crossed to his cabin to find his waterbag. "Here." He tossed it to the dark-haired girl. "Get some of this between her lips. Elevate her feet, too." "Thank you, um…." "Li." "Thank you, Li." He didn't reply as he disappeared inside his cabin. "Freak," commented Kero. "Shh. We're lucky he's helping us even this much. Shove that bundle over there under her feet." Madison tipped the waterbag gently in between Sakura's lips as she held her head in her lap. Please, Sakura, be all right. You can't give up now, not after all we've been through, please… Those emerald eyes fluttered open, and Madison smiled. "Sakura? Can you speak?" "I think so," she whispered. "What happened?" "You fainted. Li brought you back here to his place." "Li?" "The charming stranger who held a knife to your throat." "Oh, him." She smiled a little and raised her head to look around. "No, don't do that. You shouldn't strain yourself." "I'm all right, Madison. You shouldn't fuss so. Let me sit up." Reluctantly she helped her sit upright, and Sakura took in their surroundings. "Nice place." "Quiet and safe," Madison pointed out. "I think we'll be all right here for a little while." "He doesn't want us here for a little while," Sakura countered. "And I don't want to stay where I'm not wanted. We should go." Yet the thought of getting up just made her dizzy again. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to sit here for a little while…try and get her strength back. The past few days had been so hard. She looked up again at the sound of his voice. "Here. Make yourself useful." Li knelt and dumped some carrots and a few wild mushrooms on the ground in front of Madison. "Chop." He handed her a knife, and Madison took it uncertainly, as if she didn't know quite what to do with it. "Um, okay…" Clumsily she hacked at a carrot. "Smaller pieces than that. It will never cook that way." "Oh. Sorry." He was on his hands and knees now, blowing on his carefully preserved cooking fire. "Don't be sorry. Just do it." Madison flushed and tried to cut up the roots into smaller portions. The embers brightened momentarily, and Li added some wood shavings. As the kindling ignited, he placed some greener wood in the center. The fire needed to burn slowly but steadily if the food was to be well-cooked. He glanced across the fire at the girl with the short hair. She was resting her forehead on her knee and her hands were shaking slightly. Those wrists were too thin. It couldn't be helped, he would have to break into his dried meat cache. She needed the calories. With practiced ease he set up the tripod frame, and hung his iron pot over the flames. The girl – Sakura, was it? – didn't look like much of a princess to him. Her short hair was pulled back into a scruffy ponytail, with strands continually breaking away and hanging in her face. Both girls were in grubby tunics that were far too large for them, belted in at the waist over patched and worn breeches. Soft kid leather boots were on their feet, the sort that most poor country travelers wore. Already the soles were scuffed and worn. They'd either been doing a lot of walking, or they'd been forced to get boots already worn through. Either way, it didn't say much for their standing in life. All those thoughts ran through his head as he returned to his cabin to unwrap his stash of venison jerky. I can't believe I'm donating this. But I don't really have a choice. Mother would be furious if I didn't. He smiled a little at that, but lost it when he stepped out from the doorway. She was looking up, looking at him with those green eyes. He scowled and looked away. "Do you eat?" he addressed the little winged bear. "Gotta live somehow, don't I?" "Right." He broke up the strips of dried meat and threw them in the boiling water. "Done with those carrots yet?" "I think so…" "Then throw ‘em in." Sakura was shaking her head slightly. "No. No, you don't have to feed us. We don't need your help." "Unfortunately, at least as far as food goes, you do. It's been more than three days, hasn't it?" She swallowed and looked away from his intense gaze. "Maybe." "Sakura!" Madison looked horrified. "What about that bread that the shop-owner gave us?" "I – I'm sorry, Madison." She put her hand over her friend's. "I just couldn't. I couldn't eat. I kept thinking about them…" Something caught in her throat, and she gave a choking sob. "Oh no, Sakura, shh." Hastily Madison put her arm around Sakura and squeezed. "You can't. You've got to concentrate on survival. They wouldn't want you to starve. They would want you to live and be healthy. You know that." Sakura was struggling to contain herself. "I know." "You'll be fine. We're going to be fine. You'll see." They hugged, and Sakura managed to gain control of herself. She would not fall apart here, she would not break down in front of this stranger. He was watching her curiously, but he didn't ask any questions. They usually asked questions. "You're very kind," she finally said to fill the silence. "No I'm not." "You were so brave with the soldiers back there. I've never seen a peasant stand up to them like that." "I don't scare easy." "Have they been bothering you very much, lately?" "Not until today." She winced and looked down. "Seems like there have been more around though, these past few weeks. I try to ignore them. They make trouble in the village." Both girls nodded. "He's taken all of their restraints to power. They're a dangerous force now. Heaven knows what will happen to the people they decide to abuse. There is nothing to stop them." "Who's ‘he'?" "General Gorrell, of course. Nikolai." He looked a little blank. "The ‘lord and leader' they were speaking of today." She frowned, Li seemed to have no idea what she was talking about. "You do know, don't you?" "Know what?" She exchanged astonished looks with Madison. "There was an overthrow of the government, a military coup in the palace. The commander-in-chief betrayed us; he used the army to seize power from my parents. He's declared himself king now. We barely escaped that night." Ah, thought Li. That certainly explains the condition she's in. Restlessly he played with the knife in his hands, and wondered who the other girl was. Servant, he guessed, but a close friend too. As for the little bear thing, he had no idea. "You actually didn't know that you had a new king?" "I don't pay a lot of attention to authority out here. I get along on my own." Sakura inhaled the aroma of the cooking stew. She hated to admit it, but it smelled delicious. "You certainly do." "So he's killed your family. What's he want with you?" Sakura swallowed again and looked down. Madison gasped. "You could try to a little less blunt, you know." "Sorry," he muttered, though he wasn't, really. Death was something that had to be accepted and gotten over. There wasn't any way around it. Sakura's hands were shaking even harder now. "The general wants to marry her," Madison explained. "Legitimize his claim to the throne. He's running the kingdom with an iron fist, but it's taking a lot of effort on his part. It'll be easier for him if Sakura is queen. She's a recognized leader to the people." "And he didn't kill my whole family," Sakura added in a low voice. "I know he didn't." Li leaned forward to inspect the thickening liquid in the pot. It would be done soon, hopefully. Both girls looked as though they couldn't wait much more. "Yeah? Who'd he miss?" "He didn't miss him. My brother couldn't get out in time; and Nikolai made him his prisoner. He's trapped inside the palace." "How do you know he's not dead?" "I just know. I can feel it." Li was ladling the stew into some rough wooden bowls. "What, are you some kind of sorceress or something?" "Yes." He looked up, surprised. "Oh. Here." He shoved the bowl into her hands. "Don't eat it too fast, you'll get sick. Just drink the broth at first." Both girls nodded and they raised the bowls to their lips. "And you, fluffy. How much do you need?" "I have a name." "I don't care. You want the food or don't you?" Kero stared hungrily at the steaming stew. "I'll take as much as you can give." "Uh-huh. Well, settle for this. It's all I've got." He gave the little creature a smaller portion, then poured himself a very small amount. He'd eaten lunch, and these girls would probably want a second helping. Something of a nuisance, but they'd be gone soon enough. Sakura and Madison paced themselves carefully, and the sun was already behind the hills by the time they were done. "Thank you," Sakura said politely when she set her bowl down. Li looked up, but didn't say anything. "Can I help wash up, or anything?" The look in his eyes was unreadable. "I'll be fine. You should get going." "Right." Cautiously she stood, then helped Madison to her feet. The stew had really hit the spot, she felt renewed and ready to press on. "Um, do you mind telling us the best way to get out of here?" "Depends. Which way are you headed?" Sakura took a deep breath. "To the capitol." "What?" yelped Madison and Kero. "Sakura, you must be joking - " "The place is humming with the enemy - " "We'll never even make it that far - " "Are you nuts?" "I don't have a choice," she informed them. "My brother's alive; I need to get to him. He's the only family I have left." "Sakura, we don't even know the way!" "It can't be that hard to find, everybody knows where Tomoeda is. I mean it, Madison. We can't keep ducking and running from the soldiers forever. We have to get back and free my brother and the Cards. It's the only chance I have of fighting Nikolai." Spoken like a true soldier, thought Li, as he looked at her face. There was a stubborn, willful look in her eyes that Madison and Kero obviously recognized. Their shoulders slumped in defeat. "If you don't want to come with me, then I understand. You don't have to." "No, no, of course I'm coming with you," Madison assured her. "I'm sworn to serve you and I will." "And you better not even think of leaving me behind," Kero threatened. "Maybe I can't change forms, but that doesn't mean I can't watch out for your back." Sakura smiled gratefully. "Then we're going. Li?" Li hesitated. The shadows were already deep, and the forest would be even darker. He could imagine these two stumbling around in the dark, making all kinds of noise and probably getting lost. They'd never find their way out of the valley. The quickest way to get rid of them would be to just guide them "Never mind. I'll take you to the ridge." "Oh no," she said quickly. "You don't have to do that. You can just give us directions; we'll be fine…" "No you won't. Come on." He dunked the bowls in the creek and gave them a quick scrub, then banked the fire. "Follow me." He picked up his bow and strode to the trees' edge. Sakura didn't like his commanding tone, but what else could she do? After shrugging to her friends, she hurried to follow. Li winced at the noise that they made, snapping on twigs and kicking small rocks. Hastily he placed a finger to his lips. "We're not alone out here," he said quietly. "What?" "Wolves. Lynxes. Wild dogs. Carnivores. So for the love of the gods, try to be quiet. I don't feel like getting eaten tonight." "Sorry," they both whispered. "Don't be sorry. Just be quiet." Evidently a favorite saying of his. Sakura nodded and concentrated on placing her feet exactly where he placed his, stepping in his tread as they wound their way up the valley floor. It was so dark, she didn't know how he could see anything, but he never made a sound. In contrast, she and Madison sounded like a pair of horses crashing through the bush. At least Kero wasn't making any noise. Silently, Li led them through the trees. Above them, Sakura could see a pale and ghostly moon rising into the sky. It hurt to look at it, and she felt the familiar tears pricking at her eyes. It seemed she'd done nothing but cry for the past two weeks. When would the pain ever stop? Madison nudged her. She'd stopped walking without realizing it, gazing up at the celestial orb, and Li was disappearing into the dark. Whoops. She hurried to catch up. There is a time to mourn, and a time to concentrate on living. This is one of the latter, I think. He'll leave me behind in a heartbeat; I need to keep up. She swallowed her tears and refocused her attention on placing her feet in his footsteps. As long as she was concentrating on something, she would be all right. She would be fine. So intent on her task, she didn't even notice when he stopped, and she bumped right into him. "Watch it," he hissed. "Sor - " She cut herself off in time. "Why did we stop?" "Because we're there." He stepped aside and pointed. They'd reached the crest of the hill, and she sucked in her breath at the view before them. They were surrounded by stars, more beautiful and bright than she'd ever seen them in the busy town of her upbringing. The countryside spread out below them, dark and quiet, with only the nighttime breeze rustling in the trees to make any noise. "It's beautiful," she whispered. "I know. There's your destination." He pointed again, this time to a small glow in the distance. "Those are the fires of the nearest village, Brookside. Anybody there can give you directions to the main road. I'd be careful of who I talked to if I were you, though. Keep those eyes down." Sakura nodded. Her green eyes, so like her mother's, had always been her pride and joy. But there was no mistaking how conspicuous they were. "Thank you for your help." "It was nothing," he muttered. She was looking at him so appreciatively, and it unnerved him. He wanted her out of his sight as quickly as possible. "You should be able to see the lights all the way down the hillside. Don't forget about those carnivores; you have to move quietly." "Right." She looked as though she might be about to hug him, and he backed away. "You better get going. Good luck, princess. I think you'll need it." She nodded in agreement, and he turned away to retrace his steps. "Well, well. Isn't this interesting?" All four of them froze. "Our little proud peasant, guiding the princess that he says he never saw in the valley today. What a surprise that he was lying." Two of the soldiers, the one called Mero and another, stepped out from the trees. Li raised his bow, but they immediately pointed theirs at him. The second one snickered. "Never trust a commoner's word. They have no concept of honor." "Isn't that the truth? Now drop it. You only have one arrow against two, you don't have a chance." Li snarled a little, but he bent over to place his bow carefully on the ground, then backed away and raised his hands. He couldn't believe he hadn't heard them, hadn't sensed their presence. This was his territory, he ruled here. What had distracted him so? Mero dropped his bow as well and drew his sword, approaching him with a chuckle. "This is what happens when you betray your king, boy. I'm going to enjoy teaching you that lesson now." Casually he placed the tip of his sword at Li's throat. Behind him he could hear Sakura gasp. "Just as soon as I tie these two up. This is the best day of my life, I think. The General is going to reward me well." He leered at the girls, and for a brief moment, his attention was off Li. It was all Li needed. Leaning back from the lethal point, he knocked the sword to his right with the flat of his arm and immediately rotated around into a spinning hook kick. His heel connected solidly with the man's face, and he uttered a yelp of pain and surprise. One skip forward, and he kicked his crossbow up from the ground, caught it neatly in one hand and shot the other soldier before the stunned man could even catch up with events. He fell to his knees, astonishment frozen on his face. There was no time to take a breath. A feeling of air on his neck, and Li whirled around and blocked the sword's downswing with the wooden bow, then jumped and delivered a pushing kick on his ribs that sent his enemy sprawling on the ground. A sound made him look up; another soldier, probably woken from the noise, had burst forth from the trees. How many would there be? "Run!" he shouted at the girls. They were rooted to the ground, staring at him in shock, but at his command they turned and began to hurtle down the hill. Mero jumped to his feet and screamed a battle cry before swinging his sword wildly at Li. Li evaded his swipes easily; compared to a wolf, this man's reflexes were slow and his movements plainly predictable. He backed up, in the direction of the newcomer. When he was close enough, he ducked to the side and in, grabbing Mero's wrist and twisting. The sword went right underneath his arm to skewer the other soldier. Now not only had he eliminated another threat, he'd disarmed Mero by trapping his sword. Before he got a chance to pull it out, Li had elbowed him in the face, and then again, and then backed up and snapped a hard kick at the chin. His eyes rolled back and he dropped to the ground. The sound of hard galloping made him look up. The other two soldiers were on horseback, bearing down hard on him with raised swords. He dove to the ground and rolled out of the way of the hooves just in time, then yanked the bloodstained sword out of the soldier by his feet. Li never killed an animal if he could help it, and he didn't aim for the easy target of the horse's legs. Instead he raised his sword to block the swing and twisted his body, so that his blade drew along the man's ribs. He yelled in pain and slumped over, falling off his steed. Panting, Li raised the sword and eyed the last soldier. It had been an extremely long time since his last fight, and the adrenaline was surging through his system. The two of them stared at each other for a frozen moment, then the soldier came to a decision and turned his mount. Oh no. Frantically Li tried to catch the riderless horse, but the smell of blood and the sudden absence of her familiar rider had sent her into a panic. He dropped the sword and began to run, but it was hopeless. The man was away and safe. Damn it. Damn it, damn it, damn it. Feeling a little shaky, he dropped to his knees in the moonlight and tried to steady himself. It had been such a long time, he had grown sloppy. He'd let that man get away. How could I? It's over now. The bridge is on fire. It was easy to track the girls, panicked as they had been. Their trail led him several minutes away from the battle scene, further down the slope, and when it finally ended, he sat down heavily on a large boulder. "It's me," he said wearily. "You can come out." Cautiously they crawled out from under the bushes. Sakura could see the splashes of blood clearly in the moonlight. "Oh gods, Li…" "It's not mine." "So you're okay?" Madison asked anxiously. "Let's not go that far." He leant over and buried his head in his hands as the girls exchanged glances. "How did you do that?" "What?" "The fighting…how did you know how to do that?" "Hit people? It's not exactly esoteric lore." He raked his fingers through his messy hair, then stood. There was no time for regrets or self-pity. They had to get moving. "Come on. We've got to move." Sakura looked confused. "But - " "It's over for me, your highness. One of them got away, and he saw me fighting his friends. They won't be content to come around and bother me, not after this. My father's cabin will probably be in flames before the sunrise. I can't go home anytime soon." She put a hand over her mouth, obviously horrified. "Don't waste time feeling sorry for me," he snapped. "It happened, and that's that. And we have to get moving. They know Brookside is where we're headed, and we need to get there before they can move in and set up a trap. So start walking already." His eyes warned her to not say anything. But there was definite pain there, and acute regret. Inwardly she wailed. Does it never stop? When will they get tired of sacrificing themselves for me? I'm not worth all this. If only the General agreed. General Gorrell strode down the long corridor, a dangerous look in his eye. Men froze in his path, not daring to move or even breathe, afraid of attracting attention to themselves. Nobody got in the path of the General when he was angry, and he had good reason to be angry. Two weeks it had been, two weeks since the reformation. That coup had been his baby. He had coddled it, nurtured his plans, keeping it quiet even as he subtly drove a wedge between the armed forces and the royal family. And it had been carried off brilliantly, almost entirely without hitch. Except for one thing. Except for one tiny little detail, a problem that continued to persist even after two weeks. And the General was furious. It was inexcusable that the princess had been allowed to escape. And not only her, but the Sun Guardian as well. After hours of ranting and screaming at the task force assigned to her, no one had been able to offer him a sufficient explanation, and he'd had the entire squad executed. And now she was still eluding his grasp, hiding somewhere in the countryside. The entire army was searching for her, her face was unmistakable, and still she had not been found. He waved impatiently at the guard, who blanched before remembering to fumble for his keys. "Today, Lieutenant." "Sir, yes sir." At last the panicky young man found the correct one and opened the heavy wooden door. The General did not immediately go in. Instead he indicated for the man who had been just a step behind him in the halls to precede him. Colonel Blackstock nodded and marched into the cell. "On your feet!" he barked, and bent over slightly to grab the prisoner's shirt. The prince had been dozing, and he winced as Blackstock yanked him upright and slammed him against the stone wall behind him. "Your lord and leader is here to greet you." Tory glared viciously at the General, standing smugly before him with his arms crossed. "You're nobody's leader. Traitor." "I grow tired of asking, boy. Tell me where your sister is." "I told you, I don't know. And I wouldn't tell you if I did. She's out of your reach, General, you'll never catch up to her now." "Don't be so sure of that, your highness. I'm a patient man when I have to be, and I have many men looking for her, even as we speak. She can't slip through my fingers forever." He took a step closer. "And when she's mine, I'll enjoy doing her right in front of you." Tory snapped and raised his fist; he wanted to strike that smug grin right off his face. But the chains that held his wrists to the wall weren't long enough, and the General only laughed as Tory's swing was arrested midway with a painful jerk. Then he lost his patience and slammed the prince against the wall, again. "Be careful how you behave, your highness. I don't need you alive; we both know that. You're a last resort, an if-then case if I can't get to your sister before the wolves and the highway bandits do." He pulled his knife from his belt and stabbed it at the wall, just molecules away from the young man's head. Tory flinched slightly, but he refused to close his eyes. Instead he just locked bitter glares with his parents' murderer. "Besides, I like keeping you alive for this. I have to gloat to somebody, now that your parents are gone, and I always did think you were an uppity smart-aleck. You needed taking down. After I'm through doing that, I'll kill you. Whether I do it slow or fast is your decision. You think very hard about that, and you think about where your sister might have run off to these past few days." He released his hold on Tory to pat him lightly on the cheek, then turned and strode away. He'd give him another day or so, and then he'd start using some real torture. The two officers exited the gloomy cell, and the door slammed shut behind them. "Gareth." "Sir?" "It's been too long. I can not understand for the life of me why she's been so lucky." Colonel Blackstock waited patiently. He was one of the few that had been with him since the beginning, one of the few that understood the need for better control in the kingdom. He was also a wizard with the sword, and one of the few men that Gorrell held in genuine esteem. "I want you on this, Gareth. Take your best men, spread them out over the countryside. Use your instincts. Things are in a dangerous holding pattern here in the capitol; I want her by my side. I need her here. Do you understand me?" "Sir, yes sir. We won't leave a fox den unexplored until she's found." "Go. Go now." Blackstock saluted, then turned smartly on his heels to go down the corridor. Dangerous times. These are interesting, dangerous times. But I will triumph, I will succeed. Nothing can stand in my way. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Disclaimer: I do not own these characters |