Chapter 5
‘the tracker’
Light and feathery, the snow floated down around the palace, filling the air with thick white flakes. It lent a cozy atmosphere to the ballroom, even though it was filled to the brim. The Midwinter Ball was in full swing, and Touya sipped his wine moodily as he watched the nobles crowd around the princess.
“If you glare any harder, you might hurt one of them.”
Touya scowled at Yukito. “Vultures. Look at them, clambering over one another to get her attention. Don’t they know she’s only fifteen?”
“It’s just conversation, Touya. Nobody’s talking about marriage yet. Relax, already.”
Touya hmphed at that and threw back the rest of his wine.
“You know that watching her is supposed to be my job. Why don’t you try to have some fun?”
“Not likely in this crowd.” Touya was famous for his dislike of social occasions, despite being the most pursued bachelor in the kingdom. He was hiding from the ladies now as best he could, lurking in the shadowy corner by the orchestra.
“She sure looks nice tonight, doesn’t she? That’s one of Tomoyo’s dresses, I think.”
“Don’t get me started. Does that girl have any concept of moderation?” Yukito chuckled.
Sakura was indeed radiant that night, glowing in a velvet scarlet dress with a low neckline and sleeves that were slit open from the elbow down. Tiny diamonds and rubies sparkled in her hair, catching the light from the crystal chandeliers above them. As usual, Tomoyo was just behind her shoulder, leaning forward and surreptitiously whispering the names in her ear of the men approaching.
“That neckline is ridiculous,” Touya declared. “She’s only fifteen! I can’t believe how obvious they’re all being about it, too. Doesn’t she know what they’re after?”
“No, and it’s not likely anytime soon, seeing as how you’re so determined to never allow her a moment alone with any of them.”
“You’d better believe it. You and Kero may be the guardians, but I want each and every one of those degenerates to know that they’ll have to go through me if they’re going to take advantage of her.”
“You really shouldn’t fret about it so much. After all, she is royalty. Nobody would ever dream of doing anything improper.”
“You never know,” Touya said firmly, and Yukito had to admit he had a point there.
“Speaking of royalty, mother alert.” Touya muttered an oath and dove behind one of the giant velvet drapes by the window. The queen came to a stop before Yukito, and he bowed.
“Good evening, your majesty. Your presence lights up the room.” Nadeshiko smiled graciously. She reveled in these parties, and did indeed look wonderful. Her long tresses were interspersed with tiny braids, studded with emeralds to match her eyes. A stunning green silk dress hugged her upper body before flaring out in a full skirt that swept the floor. All around her, nobles and courtiers drew back in awe. The queen’s beauty was legendary throughout the kingdom.
“Yukito, have you seen that no-account son of mine? I’m sure he’s hiding here somewhere.”
“I believe I saw him on the far side of the room, near the princess.”
“Well, if you see him, tell him I want to talk to him. There’s someone I want him to meet.”
“Very well, your majesty.” She nodded to his second bow, then turned and continued her way through the party, the crowd parting before her like mist before a burning candle. “You can come out now.”
“Thanks. I owe you.”
“Who did she want you to meet?”
“Who knows? Some flaky duchess, or something similar. And then I would have to dance with her.” He shuddered. “These women are so incredibly boring, Yukito, you can’t imagine it.”
“I can. Some of them are friends with your sister, you’ll remember.”
“Oh, right. You do have to listen to that, don’t you? Bloody torture if you ask me.” Touya crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall, once again glowering at the crowd around Sakura. Most of them were young men, as pitiful and eager as puppies as they endeavored to engage her in conversation. But some of them were disgustingly old, reaching forward and kissing her hand with a touch of lechery that made Touya almost smoke with fury. He did hate these parties. Between avoiding the ladies and trying to keep the pack off of Sakura, he was exhausted. He needed another drink.
Restlessly he scanned the ballroom, searching for another servant. His eyes were on the far corner of the room when he stiffened. That was the corner where the high-end officers in the military were congregating, talking amongst themselves like they always did. The commander-in-chief was looking, no, staring right at his sister, those flat black eyes following her every move. Slowly, lovingly, he raised his goblet and sipped the contents, never breaking his gaze. Then, licking his lips in anticipation, he started for her.
- - - - - -
“On your feet!” the guard shouted, and kicked him sharply in the ribs, jarring him from his dream. Or was it a dream? In this dark cell, slipping in and out of sleep several times a day, it was hard to tell if he was awake and remembering, or asleep and dreaming. The days were sliding into one another; he wasn’t really sure how many had passed since the night of the overthrow.
The swordtip was resting at the base of his neck now, daring him to make an untoward move, as another pair of hands unlocked the chains around his wrists. This was the moment of temptation, every day, when they unchained him and allowed him to bathe. It was no ordinary cell Touya was locked in, but a prison suite designed especially for political prisoners, apart from the main dungeons. Certainly his father had never used such a thing, but General Gorrell was obviously delighting in keeping the prince there for as long as was necessary.
Touya tried to focus his thoughts as they marched him into the washroom, the short chain that tethered his ankles clinking noisily over the flagged stones. Yes, this was the moment of temptation, when he was forced to undergo the degrading experience of trying to clean himself in front of an audience of three or four armed soldiers. The cell was a tight and confined space, and it would be him versus trained swordsmen when he couldn’t even kick or run. Even at the peak of his fitness, it would be a close call. And Touya was not at the peak anymore, not after so many days of enforced leisure, unable to even pace the length of his cell. He would almost certainly die if he tried to escape.
He stripped off his shirt and splashed cold water onto his face. Death was not what he was afraid of, thus the temptation. He would rather die trying to escape than remain here in this prison for who knew how long. Rather, his fear centered around his sister. All day and night, he was consumed with fear that she might not escape the kingdom, that she might in fact be caught and brought back here to serve the General’s vile needs. He couldn’t bear the thought of her facing that alone, knowing that her entire family was gone and that there was no one left to help her. Touya knew that she could feel his presence in her mind, that she could sense whether he was alive or not. He needed to continue that, needed her to know that there was at least one member of her family surviving. And so he allowed himself to be chained to the wall again, like an animal, and for the guards to snicker at his seeming docility as they slammed out of his cell. He was alone once more with his thoughts, and he sent another message of love to her in his mind.
Keep going, Sakura. Don’t give up. I’m still here for you… wherever you are.
- - - - - -
Sakura woke suddenly, a mysterious smile on her face. Why was she smiling? She wasn’t quite sure, but there was a familiar presence in her mind, like a comforting hug from someone she knew and loved. It was a cozy feeling, and she crawled out of the tent feeling better than she had in a while. It wasn’t until her mind cleared and she awoke fully that she remembered the events of the evening before. The bloody feathers were in a pile by the small fire.
She was still staring at them when Li walked into the clearing, and he hastily tried to scoop them up.
“I’ll just go get rid of these,” he offered. “I should have done it last night. I’m sorry.” He blinked in surprise at his own words. Why had he just said that, of all things? He never said he was sorry.
It didn’t seem to matter anyway. She hadn’t given any indication that she’d heard him, still staring at the spot where they had been lying. He walked all the way to the creek and back to scatter them, and she was still there, still staring when he returned.
“Do you want to go wash up? I can dig up some of that soaproot, I saw some near the water…” She didn’t look up. “In fact, I want to show you what they look like, you really should know how to identify them.”
Still no response. He bit his lip and knelt in front of her, right in her path of vision.
“Sakura. Look at me.” Something in her face stirred and clicked, and she focused on his face.
“That’s the first time you’ve called me Sakura.”
It was? Inexplicably, Li felt his cheeks flush a little as she looked into his eyes. “Does that bother you? Should I stick to ‘your highness’?”
“No,” she said quickly. “I prefer Sakura. It sounds nice when you say it.”
“Oh.” A moment passed, as they stared at one another in silence. “Um, did you want to wash up?”
“Yes,” she said thoughtfully. “I would like to get clean.”
I need to keep on, keep struggling. Tomoyo’s right; I can’t let myself be consumed by grief. I miss him, but my brother and the kingdom need me. I’ve got to keep on.
“Thank you.”
“Come on. I’ll show you how to identify soaproot.”
Sakura was determined that day to not let herself think about Yukito. Instead she concentrated on naming every plant they walked past, every tree, every shrub that she saw. Most of the time she was wrong, but every so often she was right, and the grudging approval in Li’s voice made it worthwhile. When she pointed out wild cabbage that he hadn’t seen, and he knelt to pull its leaves, she thought she would burst with pride.
She was just starting to enjoy the challenge when the wild forest melted away. Surprised, she found herself looking at rows of neat, cultivated trees.
“What’s this?”
“An orchard.” Li looked a trifle surprised too. “I didn’t think we would reach it this soon. You two have certainly gotten better at moving through the bush.” It was an actual compliment, out of nowhere, and she exchanged a stunned look with Tomoyo. He didn’t even seem aware of his own words, frowning thoughtfully at the afternoon sun. “It’s too risky to try and cut through here during daylight. We should wait until the sun goes down. We’re stuck here for the moment.”
“Oh.” Sakura felt a tiny bit disappointed. Her feet weren’t even sore yet; she felt fit enough to go on for hours. Without realizing it, she’d become much more suited to the rigorous schedule of hiking these past few days. “These trees. They’re cherry trees, aren’t they?”
“Yes. How did you know?”
“There’s a few planted in the palace gardens.” She held up her hands as a slight breeze blew, scattering pink petals over her like confetti. “My mother loves these blossoms. That what my name means, actually, Cherry Blossom. I forget what language it is, it’s an ancient one that nobody speaks anymore. But my mother heard the word and liked it.” She was holding her arms above her head, twirling gracefully as the flowers danced around her in the air. Li’s gaze lingered on her smiling face, her eyes closed as she turned it up to the warmth of the sun.
Then he realized what he was doing and turned his head sharply, struggling to subdue his rapidly beating heart. What… what was he doing?
Tomoyo couldn’t see his face, but she saw him clench his fists, then loosen them again as he took in a deep breath.
“Well,” he growled. “As long as we’re stuck here, I’m going to take the opportunity to run through all my drills.” For some reason, he really felt the need to exercise. “I assume you don’t mind.”
“Of course not.”
“There’s no creek near here, is there?” Tomoyo spoke up. Li shook his head. “Because I never got a chance to wash up this morning, we broke camp too quickly. Maybe I could go back to that river that we passed an hour ago. I’d really like to wash my hair.” Wistfully she ran her fingers through her long dark hair. She also wanted to clear out of there.
“No,” Li objected. “You can’t go back that far alone. It’s too dangerous. And you’ll get lost.”
“I remember the way, I was paying attention. And we haven’t seen anybody for more than two days now. They’re well off our trail. Please?” Those violet eyes widened a little and looked at him appealingly. Li was hesitant, but she had a point. There was probably no harm in it.
“Well… all right. But be quiet, understand? And don’t leave any trails.”
“I know,” she assured him. “I’ll be fine. Do you want to come, Kero?”
The little bear reclined on a branch against the trunk of a cherry tree and closed his eyes.
“Nah. I’m in the mood for a nice nap.”
“All right,” she acceded in a low voice. “But try to give them their privacy all right?”
“Privacy for what?”
“I don’t know,” she murmured. “But I can’t wait to find out.” Smiling enigmatically at his confusion, she turned and left the orchard.
Li took a swig from his waterbag and began to stretch. He’d been going rather hastily through his drills these past couple evenings, in the dark and after the girls had gone to sleep. It unsettled him, made him feel incomplete. In spite of the humiliating end to his stay in the palace, the training had been his whole life and he had practiced every evening since his expulsion, in the valley. A painful reminder, but fortunate nonetheless. At least he hadn’t been out of shape when those soldiers first attacked.
Sakura watched him strip off his boots and shirt. His chest was exactly how she’d imagined it, muscular and tough, covered with old scars from his long years of training. Slowly he assumed a careful posture, then guided his arm into a slow-motion punch. He was facing her, but his eyes were unfocused, seeing into the past as he remembered his classes and instructions.
The muscles under his tanned skin rippled in preparation as he balanced on one leg, the breeze lifting his ragged bangs off his face. Then he exploded into a fury of kicks, snapping three of them out in quick succession, low, then medium, then as high as someone’s head. Expertly he jumped and spun in mid-air, throwing another kick before landing lightly on the grass.
Sakura couldn’t help herself; fascinated, she drifted a little closer. He was so powerful, so strong. She wanted to be like that. After taking a second to pull off her boots and fasten the ribbon in her hair more securely, she began to imitate his motions.
Li always fell into his drills; when he was going through the patterns, it was as if he was back in the palace, with Wei and his fellow students. It was a while before he noticed what she was doing, and he almost stopped. But then he saw how focused she was, how hard she was trying.
What the hell. Let her try, I guess it doesn’t bother me.
He continued to kick and punch. Now that he was looking, it was almost amusing to watch her copy his movements. She lacked force and aggression, and instead seemed determined to turn his fighting drills into a dance. She was too feminine, really, mimicking his jumps and turns as though she were in the ballroom. It made him smile, but he didn’t laugh out loud. Together the two of them moved through his entire repertoire of drills, under the rustling branches of the cherry orchard with petals flying around like snowflakes.
- - - - - -
The snowflakes were coming down a little faster. Without even stopping to think about it, Touya strode away from the window and crossed the ballroom in a matter of seconds, leaving Yukito a little confused at his sudden departure. There was a look about Gorrell’s face that propelled him across the floor, a look that said that he was going to approach Sakura, perhaps ask her to dance. And that would absolutely not do.
“Sakura,” he greeted his sister cheerfully, pushing one of her admirers slightly out of the way to take her hand.
“Touya, where have you been all evening? Mother was just here looking for you.”
“Was she? Oh, well. Want to dance?”
“What?” He yanked her out of the crowd and onto the floor. There was no time for discussion; Gorrell had almost reached her. “Hey!”
“Hey, yourself,” he said pleasantly.
“You can’t just pull me around like that. Who do you think you are?”
“Crown prince Touya of the Kinomoto bloodline,” he smirked. “And it’s time for me to dance with my sister. You don’t have a problem with that, do you?” She really didn’t have a choice; his grip on her wasn’t leaving her any room to struggle. She blew a strand of hair out of her face and gave him an annoyed look.
“Why do you always order me around so?”
“Because I can, your royal squirtness.” She stumbled a little in the steps and kicked him sharply in the shin. “Ouch!”
“An accident.”
“Right.” She smiled sweetly at him, then resigned herself to finishing the dance and laid her head against his chest. Over her head, Touya met the frustrated gaze of the General and scowled. Touya didn’t like Nikolai Gorrell, he never had. He had a power-hungry air about him that put the prince off. His father refused to listen to any complaints about him, though, pointing to his excellent record of loyalty and how well he maintained law and order in the kingdom. It was true that he did do a very good job of it. But the thought of that man, more than twice Sakura’s age, putting his hands all over her delicate body made Touya fume. He wasn’t about to let it happen, either that night or any other.
Because, he thought darkly as he clutched his sister possessively around the waist, you just never know.
- - - - - -
The General paced along the wide corridor of the palace, his heavy steps echoing in the marble halls. Back and forth, back and forth he paced. There had been no sign of the princess, the colonel had just reported through courier, no sign at all since her escape from that country boarding house. She’d disappeared into the woods, her and her mysterious warrior friend, and left absolutely no trace behind. It was as if she’d vanished.
His face was as black as his uniform. Still he paced. He was hovering before one of the royal family portraits, the one that depicted the children. The prince was standing tall and straight, his dark eyes serious as he gazed at the painter. Sakura was seated in a chair next to him, her back straight too but her eyes twinkling with a hint of a smile. The artist had lent a certain scope to his brush, trying to portray the laughter and smiles that she always carried with her. She was the pet of the royal court, the darling of their majesties.
She was also everything that represented power to Gorrell. So young and fresh and beautiful, she was capable of powerful things, could wield terrible magic if she had to. To the General, she was everything that he had set out to control when he wrested power away from the king, and the fact that she had escaped and was running free tore at him from inside. He didn’t like loose ends; he didn’t like things beyond his control. And that’s exactly where she was right now, beyond his control.
He clenched his fists a little in frustrated malice.
He needed her powers and abilities, working for him. He wanted her under his control. He needed her to be his wife, to establish his right as the ruler of the kingdom. It mattered little to Nikolai that she obviously didn’t want to be with him, and that she was going to great lengths to escape his grasp. In fact he preferred it. He was a fighter, a conqueror; physical enforcement was the only method of persuasion that he really trusted. If he could find her and bring her back, if he could force her to marry him and wield her magic for his purposes, then that would demonstrate how powerful he really was. That he could indeed control anything that he wished.
But still she persisted in eluding him. She refused to fall into place in his neatly constructed plans, and he was furious. The princess would pay dearly for what she was putting him through, she really would. When he finally found her and brought her back to her proper place, he would make her suffer like she never dreamed. That was one thing he knew he could do, and he smiled grimly to himself as he stared at her picture.
She would pay for her insolence. Oh yes. She would pay.
- - - - - - -
“Teach me,” Sakura pleaded when they finally concluded the last of his drills.
“Excuse me?”
“Show me how you do those things that you do. The fighting.” Li favored her with a cynical glance as he took another swallow from his waterbag.
“You’re joking, right? Sakura, it takes years to learn how to fight, and very intense, thorough training. I can’t just ‘show you’ anything.”
Her face fell and she turned to lean against one of the cherry trees, resting her head against its rough bark. “I’m here because I ran, you know.”
“What?”
“I ran that night. I let Yue die holding them all off so I could escape out the window. I didn’t even try to fight them, because I don’t know how. My brother…” She paused to draw a shuddering breath. “I know he fought. That’s the way he is. He had bodyguards too, his whole life, but he put himself through the training of the King’s Own anyway. Just to prove that he could do it.”
A single tear ran down her cheek as she thought back.
“Ever since I can remember, my mother and father always told Touya how strong he had to be for me. He is the heir to the throne, after all, and they told him all the time that he was responsible to not only the people of the kingdom, but me too. He took his future very seriously, paid a lot of attention to his studies as well as his physical training. And he was absolutely devoted to watching out for me. You should have seen him when nobles came to court me. He never let any man be alone with me if he could help it.” A half-smile flitted across her face, and Li tried to ignore the strange feeling in his stomach when she said that.
“There were a lot of them, huh?”
“From all over the kingdom. And visiting royalty, too, from the neighboring lands. It never mattered what their lineage was or how much money they had; he didn’t care. As far as he was concerned, no man was ever good enough for me. He kept them away. He was a fighter. And I know, on the night of the overthrow, that he never even considered running. He would have fought right alongside his bodyguards, and that’s why he’s a prisoner now.”
Feeling disgusted with herself, she started banging her head against the tree.
“Hey, stop that. You’re not a bad person for running, Sakura. You didn’t know how to fight them; there wouldn’t have been any point in trying. It’s not your fault what choices your brother made.”
“If I knew how… I could have helped. Maybe the two of us together could have done something…”
“Maybe, maybe. It’s in the past, and no longer an option.” Her eyes were squeezed shut as she rested her head against the tree, and he couldn’t help himself. Tenderly he placed a hand on her shoulder. “But you do want to try and save him. I respect that. You’re very brave to go back.”
She turned her head to look at him. “I’m just a spoiled princess. I’m in over my head; I can’t do anything.”
“We’ll see about that.” His hand slid down to her arm and he pulled her away from the tree. “There’s a proper way to do a punch,” he began. “It starts like this, with your fist turned up and at your waist.”
He demonstrated. “Then, just before striking the target, you will rotate it like this. That generates power.”
Clumsily she copied him. “Like this?”
“Yes, but make it smoother.” He placed his hand over hers to guide it properly. “And while that hand is doing that, you want to pull back with the other hand. It creates a reaction force and makes the punch even stronger.” He moved behind her to place his left hand on hers and showed her how. Now his arms were almost completely around her, and Sakura found herself blushing as she realized that his shirt was still off. He was breathing deeply and evenly as he demonstrated the punch, his rock-hard muscles gliding against the material of her shirt.
Concentrate, Sakura, focus. You’re learning this so you can fight back and survive.
She closed her eyes, glad that Li couldn’t see her face. It felt like she was on fire. If only he wasn’t so close…
She was so close. Li felt himself reddening as he moved her arms through the motion of the punch over and over again. Her delicate, slender body pressed up against his was too much, he was losing the ability to concentrate. Finally he stepped away.
“Okay. Now let me see you do it on your own.”
Thank goodness, Sakura thought, relieved and disappointed at the same time. With an effort she brought herself back under control and smiled at Li as he stepped around to face her.
“Like this?”
“Yes.” He nodded, hoping she wouldn’t notice the blush lingering on his cheeks. “Like that.”
- - - - - -
Tomoyo stripped off her clothes with a sigh of relief and stepped into the cold water of the river. At long last she would finally have a chance to bathe and wash her long hair. It had been such a hassle, trying to maintain it these past few weeks. More than once, she’d considered asking Li to cut it off with his knife. But somehow, she just couldn’t bear to. The queen had often told her how much it resembled her mother’s, and how much she looked like her when she wore it down. Tomoyo didn’t want to let go of that.
Using a sharp stick, she unearthed the plant that she now knew to be soaproot, and with a small stone pounded at them on a flat rock on the water’s edge. Enthusiastically she rubbed her scalp with the white foam, then dunked her head under the water.
I wonder what’s going on back in the cherry orchard right now. I hope it was worth this long walk back to the river.
She smiled to herself, then noticed another plant by the riverbank.
Hey, I know that plant. I’ve seen it in the kitchen gardens of the palace. That’s rosemary. A maid told me once that she used it on her hair to make it smell nice.
Curious, she plucked a few brambles from the bush. Just rubbing them lightly between her hands created a sweet-smelling aroma, and she crushed them in tiny puddle of river water in the rocky bank. When the water itself was thick with the perfume of the herb, she poured it over her hair. It smelled wonderful, and she felt so pleased with herself that she began to sing as she stretched out on a sunny boulder to dry.
Eriol uttered a groan and leaned against Ruby’s flank. He’d lost it; there was no doubt about it. He was completely off track.
“I thought I was getting somewhere when I saw those mushrooms, so neatly sliced off their stalks. No animal bites off a mushroom like that. But I can’t find another campsite for the life of me, and I’m sure I’ve overshot the trail by now.” Ruby snorted and shook her head again.
“Stop that. You flick your mane right into my face when you do that. I know I’ve overshot the trail, there’s no way that they’ll be any closer to the edge of the forest. Or if they are, they’re seriously lost, which I doubt. It’s completely the wrong direction.” Frustrated, he pulled his waterbag off of Ruby’s tack, and swallowed the last of it.
“Looks like I need a refill.” He glanced around him. There was a slight gradient to the land, nothing too steep, but enough. Water could always be found by going downhill. He hobbled Ruby and left her in the clearing to graze, and departed in search of water.
Tomoyo finished the long, dramatic song, listening with pleasure to the sound of her voice carrying over the water. It was nice, singing out here in the outdoors. She did love to sing. Sakura always talked about her joining the Royal Opera when she was older, but Tomoyo wasn’t so sure about that. She loved singing, but she didn’t like to think of leaving Sakura’s side. Her princess needed her.
Speaking of which, it was probably time to be headed back. If she wasn’t back at the orchard by dusk, Li would get frustrated. Her hair was almost dry now, and she pulled the tangles out with a thin, sharp stick. Then she pulled on her clothing and began to clamber up the rocky river bank to reenter the forest. She had just reached the trees when something sharp poked her in the back.
“Freeze.”
She squeaked and halted, instinctively raising her hands in surrender.
“Please sir, if I am on your land, then I didn’t mean to be. I’m not here to steal anything of yours.”
“Quiet. Put your hands on your head and turn around.” Trembling, she complied, and got a horrible shock when she realized the man pointing a crossbow at her was no peasant, but a captain of the Royal Army. He was young, very young for his rank, but his eyes were intelligent and experienced. Those intense blue eyes seemed to cut right through her as he studied her curiously.
“Please sir, I - ”
“I said, quiet. March, this way.” He raised his arm and pointed, a slightly different direction than the one that she had been headed in. Tomoyo was terrified, but she wasn’t sure what else she could do. If only Li was there. But he wasn’t and she was on her own. Helplessly she nodded, and began to walk, the officer just a step behind her.
Eriol didn’t say anything until they’d returned to the clearing, and he cut a short length of rope from the coil hanging from his saddle.
“Sit right over there,” he indicated, pointing to a brambly crepe myrtle tree. Its branches were low to the ground, but growing upwards toward the sunlight. “Right up against the trunk, please. And raise your arms above your head.” He set his bow on the ground and tied her wrists together over the lowest branch. Not until she was securely fastened did he relax, and he sat on the grass across from her to give her a more thorough looking over.
His silence unnerved Tomoyo, and she flushed as he examined her. He had not touched her, other than to tie her hands, but his sharp and calculating eyes provoked a shiver anyway. It seemed he was undressing her with them.
Her voice quavering with fear, she tried again.
“Please, captain, I’ve done nothing wrong. I’m just a peasant girl traveling through the forest.”
“Sure,” he said amiably. “You’re a peasant. Who’s never done a day’s work with those smooth white hands, who knows my rank by my uniform despite the fact that very few peasants ever have occasion to see a captain, who speaks with a cultured and educated dialect, and who knows all the words to the Fifth aria of the Royal Opera.”
The girl gaped in surprise at his observations, and Eriol allowed himself a grim smile. There was no doubt that she was not who she said she was, but then, who was she?
Eriol gazed at his prisoner thoughtfully, and she squirmed. Could she have something to do with the princess? She fit in the profile of someone raised in the palace, there was no doubt, but nobody had mentioned anything of the princess having a companion. He recalled the tracks he’d seen back by the village of Brookside, the tracks of two women running away from the battle scene. He’d assumed at the time that the princess had been joined by a pair of peasants, one male and one female. Certainly none of his superiors had mentioned that her highness was traveling with anyone.
But it would be just like them to wave aside a detail like that. It would never occur to them to say if the princess was traveling with one of her servants. They probably wouldn’t think it important at all. On the other hand, I did find her all alone. And, as I was thinking earlier, it’s highly unlikely that the princess ever came this way at all. It’s far too close to Tomoeda.
“Who are you?” he asked pleasantly. “What’s your name?”
She trembled and said nothing.
“Come on, then, there’s no need to be rude. Tell me who you are. I’m afraid I have to insist.” He rocked forward onto the balls of his feet to look her more directly in the eyes. She turned her face, but he held her chin in his hand and forced her look at him.
“Those are very distinctive eyes, my lady. Extremely beautiful.” She tried to pull away from his touch, but that was impossible, and he chuckled. Her eyes were captivating, a pretty pale violet that reminded him of spring flowers. But they were so terrified. He dropped his hand, brushing over her tunic, and she cringed.
“Please don’t hurt me,” she cried.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” he assured her. “I just want to know who you are.”
“I’m nobody,” she whispered. Eriol tapped his chin pensively.
“I don’t believe you. I think you are somebody. I’m just not sure who.” He stood up and grabbed his waterbag off the ground. He hadn’t had the chance to fill it, what with following her from the riverside to the forest. “I think you have something to do with the princess, and it’s my duty to take you to my commanding officer.”
If he’d had any doubts, the look of terror that crossed her face at that announcement erased them for good. She clearly had something to hide, and that meant he should get her to the colonel as quickly as possible.
“I’m all out of water, so I just need to go fill this up. I’ll be right back, and then we can get going. Don’t go anywhere.”
The soldier left the clearing, and Tomoyo tried to push down the panic bubbling up inside her. Colonel Blackstock had seen her many times in the palace, he would know exactly who she was. And he would probably torture her to get Sakura’s location. She had to escape, and quickly.
There was a sharp nub in the branch near her hands, and frantically she began to rub the rope across its point. It was a thin twine, really, probably intended for nothing more than tying his horse when he wanted to. Already she could hear the fibers breaking.
Hurry, Tomoyo, please hurry.
The river was not all that far away, and he would probably run, anxious to get going and get her into custody. That couldn’t happen, it just couldn’t. Her wrists hurt from the pressure of the rope cutting into her skin, but she pressed harder, desperate. At last the rope snapped and she scrambled to her feet. But she couldn’t escape on foot; he had a horse and would probably be able to catch up to her in no time. The last thing she needed was for him to follow her trail right back in the direction of Sakura. Maybe she could repeat that trick with the horse that Li had done two days earlier. If she stole his mount, she could get a good long distance away, and then she would have time to continue on foot more carefully, without leaving any tracks.
“Come here, girl,” she wheedled. “Come on, little lady.” The beautiful chestnut mare whinnied and backed away. “Shh, come on, be nice to me, please. I’m in trouble here.” Tomoyo had always been good with horses, her voice was soothing to them and her touch was gentle. Delicately she placed her hand on the shoulder.
“Shhh… nice and easy now. I’m not going to hurt you.” The horse quieted, and she bent over to unfasten the restraint around her legs. “Just do me this one favor and get me out of here. That’s all I want, and then I’ll let you go. Promise.” Cautiously she slid her hands up the side of the mare, letting the animal get used to her feel and her smell. Then, when she was sure that the horse was calm, she put her boot in the stirrup and swung onto her back. Promptly the animal reared up, and with a shriek Tomoyo fell off her back.
She never hit the ground. Instead, she found herself in the captain’s arms and looking up at his amused expression.
“Are you all right? Ruby’s rather temperamental about having strangers on her back.”
She yelped and tried to push herself away. But no sooner had her feet hit the ground than he twisted her arm behind her, pulling her back close to him. She wriggled, but froze when he placed a sharp blade to her throat with his other hand.
“Please, my lady. Don’t make me hurt you. I need to deliver you to my commanding officer; it’s my duty. Now I don’t want to knock you unconscious and carry you back like a sack of potatoes, but if I have to then I will. Now will you promise to stand still, and not run away?”
She swallowed cautiously and nodded.
“Good girl. Now hold on a moment.” Expertly he sliced a strip of cloth from the bottom of her oversized tunic, then bound her hands firmly behind her back.
“Ouch!”
“Sorry,” he apologized. “But I need to make it tight.” He sheathed his knife and stepped away from her to deal with his mare.
“Ruby. Ruby, calm down, please.” She was prancing nervously and whinnying at him still, and he reached forward to catch hold of her halter. “Shh… calm down. There’s no need to be frightened. I’m here for you, I’m not going to let anything happen to you.” He stroked her nose and leaned forward to exhale into her nostrils. Under his firm hands, she quieted, and he smiled with satisfaction. “That’s better. She didn’t mean to scare you, Ruby, she was just trying to escape. She’s frightened, okay? She’s sorry.”
Tomoyo forgot a little of her fear as she watched the captain converse with his horse. She’d never seen anyone talk to their mount like that. And it almost seemed as if the mare understood him.
“Ready to ride again? Good girl.” He led his now complacent horse to a large boulder in the clearing. “Come here.” He held out his hand to Tomoyo, who unwillingly stepped forward. “No sudden moves, now. I can’t guarantee that Ruby will stay quiet if you try to escape again. And I don’t want you to get hurt.”
He looked so slight compared with the other brawny soldiers of the army, but he grabbed her around the waist and deposited her atop the rock without even grunting. Then he swung onto the saddle and pulled her up to join him, making sure she was seated comfortably in front of him before he wrapped an arm around her waist and picked up the reins.
“Why Ruby?” she asked softly. “She’s brown all over.”
“Yes, but she was born on the night of a harvest moon. It was so bright and red, like a ruby glowing in the sky. I helped to foal her, and I’m the only person that’s ever ridden her. Besides you, that is.”
“Oh.”
“I apologize, by the way for demanding to know your name when I haven’t even offered mine. Eriol of the Hiiragizawa family, or Captain to most. You can call me Eriol if you like.”
“One who dreams alone.”
“That’s right,” he affirmed, a note of surprise evident in his tone. “You must read quite a bit. It’s not a common name.” She gulped and didn’t answer. Why had she just said that? She was doing a pitiful job of pretending to be a commoner who knew nothing.
“Now I will ask for yours again. If you would be so kind?”
Tomoyo watched the trees pass by. Ruby was only walking, but she hitting a pretty fast pace. They were probably headed for the road, and from there it would likely be a short distance to Blackstock. What would happen to her? What did it matter if he knew her name or not, she was already bound to be recognized.
“It’s Tomoyo.”
“Tomoyo.” Eriol couldn’t help himself; he inhaled deeply, enjoying the rosemary scent of her lustrous black hair. “That’s a beautiful name. Also rather uncommon.”
“I suppose,” she whispered.
He must have sensed how afraid she was, because he squeezed his arm around her waist more tightly. He was very strong, and it was both frightening and oddly comforting to be wrapped in his arms like this. But she was his prisoner, and he was taking her to her doom.
Oh, how I am going to get out of this? Somebody… please. Help me. I don’t know what to do.
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters
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