Six Eyes' Woods (Chapter 2)

Six Eyes' Woods
a Suikoden I & II fic by Seiji

II: I see her yet, that dark-eyed one

Although Flik and Viktor didn't hear of it until their second night on the road, the hidden ninja village in Eyes' Woods was the hottest topic on the way to Meenoma.

It had started to drizzle that afternoon, and Viktor soon declared that he wasn't walking another step, not in such perfect weather.

"'Perfect'?" Flik said. "For what?"

"Wallowing about in the mud?" the Star Dragon Sword suggested. "He is, after all, a--"

"Fishing," Viktor said. "And when I want the opinion of a glorified pig-sticker, I'll ask for it."

"The only swine I'm going to stab is--"

"Fine," Flik said. "Fishing it is."

They staked their tent by the side of the river, and Viktor set out to prove that fish really did bite better in the rain. Flik stayed under the shelter and read a book that he'd traded for a few villages back.

Two hours later, the rain had tapered off. Viktor was having a grand time cleaning fish while both Flik and the Star Dragon Sword threatened him with bodily harm if he didn't keep his fish guts to himself. He had just flicked a few scales at the sword, when a man with a cartload of apples stopped at their camp.

"The bridge at Meenoma is out," the man announced.

"Really?" Viktor shot a quick glance at Flik, then approached the stranger. "I'm sorry to hear that. Want some fish?"

A small, curly-haired head appeared from behind the man. "We're going to get a goat!"

"Oh," Viktor said and made a show of scratching his head in confusion. "So... 'no' to the fish?"

The child laughed, and Flik joined the group. He offered his hand to the cart horse's inquisitive nose and invited the pair to join them for the evening meal. They readily agreed. The man was Anders, and the dark-haired moppet was his daughter, Disa. They shared a meal of flat bread, fish, and cheese, and afterwards, Disa sat on Viktor's knee as he cut slices of apple for her.

Anders was a taciturn man, but they hadn't spent years in the Liberation Army with Humphrey without learning a trick or two. Before long, they had him talking about his orchard and the farmer on the western bank with whom he traded every year, cider apples for a pig or goat. This brought him back to the bridge at Meenoma. He'd arrived in the village that morning, only to discover that the bridge had been destroyed two days ago.

"'Destroyed'?" Viktor echoed, surprised. He'd expected it to be something like when Radat closed their sluice gate for repairs.

"Went up in flames," Anders said. "And they didn't bother to spread the news, did they? The tight-lipped bastards."

"Da!" Disa giggled, and Viktor ruffled her hair.

"Was it an accident?" Flik asked.

"Reckon so." Anders wrapped the last of the fish in a piece of bread and licked his fingers. "Either that, or it was those ninjas."

"Ninjas!" Viktor and Flik both exclaimed.

"Well, they've got those ninjas in Eyes' Woods now, don't they?"

They tried, but Anders could tell them no more about the ninjas. He wasn't one to listen to rumors, he said.

It grew dark, and Viktor entertained them all with tales of their adventures. When it began to rain again in earnest, Anders and Disa bedded down underneath their cart. Viktor made a quick circuit around the camp while Flik cleaned up. He checked the security of Anders' horse and planned how to best get their guests to safety in case of an attack. He didn't think it would be necessary. Even with the rumors of bridge-destroying ninjas, this stretch of road was fairly tame. In all probability, the most dangerous thing in the area was a stray skunk or two.

Viktor returned to the tent and removed his boots--he couldn't do so inside without elbowing Flik in the ribs. He crawled inside and tried to get comfortable. Eventually, he settled for nothing poking him in the back.

"We should get a bigger tent next time," he said.

"We only use it when it rains."

That was true. They both preferred the open air--or a nice inn with a couple of pretty maids.

"Still, a bigger one wouldn't hurt. Would it?"

There was a soft rustle like Flik had just shrugged in the dark. "It's more to carry," he said. "Besides, I believe your exact words at the time were 'More canvas means less beer money. Are you out of your mind?'"

"Ah. Well... when you put it that way, Flik, I was right."

Flik swatted him, and Viktor laughed.

"Gee, Lightning, you're so violent!"

"You're growing on me."

"Now that," the Star Dragon Sword said, "is not going to be conducive to pleasant dreams."

Why couldn't his sword ever just go to sleep like a normal person?

"What are you nattering on about now?" Viktor said.

The sword ignored him. "In fact, it sounds like you're suffering from a particularly nasty fungal infection--Creeping Viktor."

Flik chuckled.

"And while we're on the topic of nightmarish things--"

"Go to sleep," Viktor growled.

"--I vote for a bigger tent--"

"One more word, and you're out in the rain."

"--because this one smells too much like Viktor's feet."

"That's it!" Viktor grabbed the sword, but Flik caught his arm before he could chuck it outside. "Hey!"

"Give it to me," Flik said.

Viktor didn't move.

Flik sighed, then skimmed his hand down Viktor's arm and tugged at his wrist. "Come on, there's room on my side for it."

"There's plenty more room outside."

Flik tugged on his wrist again. "Viktor, you know it will get revenge."

The sword chuckled.

"I don't care," Viktor told it. "Do your worst, I can handle it."

Flik leaned close and whispered in his ear. "If I spend all night helping you fight your sword, I will get revenge."

Okay... Viktor wasn't sure that he could handle Flik's worst. He handed over the sword.

"Fine. You make friends with it."

Flik murmured something to the sword, and Viktor lay down and turned his back on them both. A few moments later, Flik spooned up behind him.

"Flik?" They were used to tight quarters, but this was something new.

"I might sleep with Odessa, but there's no way I'm snuggling up to your sword."

"I should think so," the Star Dragon Sword muttered. "I'm a sword, not a security blanket."

Flik went taut as a bowstring behind him. "Are you," he asked quietly, "implying something about Odessa?"

There was a pause as if the sword was actually thinking for once. Maybe it thought Flik was scary, too.

"Would I do that?" it finally said.

"Not if you're as smart as you claim to be."

"Well, that settles it," Viktor said. "You know that thing's a braggart--"

"Go to sleep, Viktor," the sword said.

"--if not an outright liar."

"Go to sleep, Viktor," Flik said.

"Mmm... if you insist..."

He was tired, and Flik was a lot warmer than he would have expected. If it were summer, the heat at his back would have bothered him. It didn't now, though. It was... cosy. He fell asleep wondering how someone as skinny as Flik could be so warm.

- / -
He dreamt of Daisy.

It was her birthday, and she was wearing the dress his mother had made for her. She was all bright blue ruffles and glossy dark curls. She looked... ridiculously like a girl.

Grandmother warned her to be careful with her new dress and let them out to play. They went to the duck pond. Viktor showed off by climbing a tree and then using it to scale the wall. When he reached the top, he posed victoriously.

Daisy laughed at him. He stood looking down at her, watching the wind play in her hair and billow her skirt. She was beautiful all lively like that. He'd never really noticed before.

A man stepped up behind her then, and put his hands on her shoulders. It was Neclord, but Viktor didn't know him.

"Give me the sword," the man told him.

Viktor was only twelve; he didn't have a sword.

"The Star Dragon Sword," the man said.

Viktor shook his head. "I think you're confused."

He jumped off the wall, and Daisy ran to him, laughing. "The sword in your hand, Silly."

He glanced down--he did have a sword. When had that happened? It was heavy and almost a big as he was.

"This?" he asked the man.

"Yes. Give it to me."

"Well, if you want it..." Viktor stepped toward the man, then looked at the sword again. It had a strange, gnarled face. Swords weren't supposed to have faces. "Isn't it kinda ugly, though?"

The man held out his hands. Viktor raised the sword.

Suddenly, the sword weighed nothing at all. Daisy moved, and the blade was at her neck. No, it was through her neck--

- / -
Viktor jerked awake, blood pounding in his ears.

"Shh, he's not here. He's dead, Viktor. You killed him."

Viktor turned. "Flik?"

"Yes."

"You're awake?"

Flik didn't answer.

After a moment, Viktor woke up a bit more. "Wait..." He rubbed his eyes. "Forget that I asked that."

"Figured it out for yourself, did you?" Flik asked, a smile in his voice.

"Yeah," he said. "Despite appearances, I'm not a total idiot."

"Well, he's half right," the Star Dragon Sword told Flik. They both ignored it.

"I meant to ask if I woke you."

"Ah," Flik said. "That is a better question."

"Well?"

"Hmm?" Flik shifted and almost kneed him. Viktor put a hand out to protect himself from errant limbs.

"Did I?"

"Don't worry about it," Flik said. "You know I'm a light sleeper. If it hadn't been you, it would have been something else."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

Flik sounded sleepy, but Viktor didn't want to close his eyes yet. He cast about for something else to say.

"Do you think it could be the ninjas?"

"No," Flik said. "Ninjas are too quiet to wake me up in the middle of the night."

"Not that, the ghosts."

"What?" Flik sat up.

"The disappearances," Viktor said. "Do you think ninjas are doing the haunting?"

"Dead ninjas?"

"Are you being deliberately obtuse?"

"Me?"

"You do it sometimes," Viktor said. "To distract me, I think."

"Huh. I didn't think you noticed."

Viktor pillowed his head on his arms. "You know... I'm glad you're my friend."

"Instead of your enemy?"

Viktor hadn't meant it that way, but that was true, too.

"Yeah," he said. He thought he could sleep again now.

"Do you think it's ninjas?" Flik asked.

"I don't know... It could be."

"Burning a bridge, though? In peacetime? That doesn't sound like them."

Viktor agreed, but... "Kage would have done it."

"True," Flik said. "But I doubt there's anyone around here who could afford to make it worth his while."

"What about the disappearances?"

"Seriously?" Flik lay back down. "I think ghosts are more likely."

"There's no--"

"I know," Flik said, putting a hand on Viktor's chest. "I'm just making a point. If there really was a hidden ninja village there, no one would know about it."

"Not if the ninjas were any good."

"Exactly."

"But... couldn't it be ninjas who failed their training or something? Ninja wannabes?"

The Star Dragon Sword snorted. "What, like you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Viktor said. "I am everything that I want to be."

"Good thing you're not ambitious--"

Flik rolled over and faced the sword. "If I spend all night listening to you bickering with him, I will get revenge."

The sword's mouth snapped shut with an audible clink, then there was nothing but the steady beat of rain against the canvas. Viktor let the sound lull him to sleep, wondering as he did how someone got revenge on a sword.

TBC

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Note: Chapter title is from Adah Isaacs Menken's "A Memory" from the poetry collection, Infelicia, published in 1873.