Finally, they reached outside. Ayaka didn’t stop as she ran to the edge of the veranda and continued barefooted across the courtyard. Ciara sighed, following her and wishing she had shoes.
The sounds of metal clinks coming from behind spurred her into action, and she sprinted across the courtyard with all her might. She could smell burning wood in her nose. Ciara glanced to the side and realized a building was on fire.
“The mirror! Get it!” Kawayuki hollered at his soldiers, pointing to the burning building.
Shit, the mirror was there, Ciara realized, and her steps faltered for a second when her foot slipped. She stumbled to the ground just as a blade swept through the air where her torso had been a second ago. Shocked, she turned around on the ground and looked up at her assailant. The second shock hit her when she realized the figure who stood above her was only a teenager about the same age as Karen or possibly younger.
“What—?” Ciara registered the crimson uniform, immediately realizing he was one of Kawayuki’s enemies. The enemy of my enemy is my ally.
“W-wait!” She held up her hands as he lifted on of his short swords. “I’m not working with Kawayuki!”
He snorted in amusement.
“Of course not, you’re his servant.”
“What? No, I’m not!”
He pointed his blade at her head and cut her headscarf. Ciara’s long brown hair unfurled and fell on her shoulders.
“Your clothes say otherwise,” he pointed out but stopped at the sight of her chestnut-colored hair. He took a second look at her, intrigued. He kept hold both of his short swords in one hand and squatted down before her, curiosity written over his face. “You’re a foreigner.”
“I suppose?”
He reached for her hair with his free hand. Ciara waited with belated breath to see what he was planning to do. He seemed more interested in her hair than in killing her at the moment, which was a better situation than the one she had been in a second ago.
“Takeru, we’re on a battlefield. Don’t flirt.”
“Brother…” The teen mumbled and got up to tell him something when Ciara noticed a white streak from the corner of her eye. She shrieked and jumped back. A hand caught the thing, and Ciara came eye to eye with a white snake. Her breath caught as the snake’s tongue flicked out. It was so close she could swear its tongue touched the tip of her nose.
“Aaaaah!” She crawled back on her hands and quickly stood up. The snake rose and drew back. Ciara blinked and realized a hand had closed around it. She dragged her gaze up on the toned muscles of the man’s arm, to the crimson uniform with a silver sash and a white dragon symbol on it, then finally settled on the handsome face of her savior.
They stared at each other for a long moment. The stranger had dark brown eyes, which glinted with alertness and studied Ciara. His black hair was gathered in manbun on top of his head. A slight breeze swept at Ciara’s long hair, briefly blinding her and breaking the moment. She didn’t dare move a muscle as she stared at the stranger.
“Thanks,” she finally said, still not quite over the shock. He nodded and stroked the back of the snake before throwing it away.
“You’re not killing it?”
“Why would I? It didn’t do anything wrong.”
Ciara gaped.
“Isn’t it poisonous?”
“Takeru, why did you let her live?” The man asked the teen. Ciara’s legs felt weak. She balled her trembling hands into fists as she tried to fight the panic attack that was looming in the back of her mind. How did she ever think him attractive? She should run while she still had her head!
“She says she’s not of Kawayuki’s household. And I’ve never seen such pretty hair,” replied the guy who had almost cut her down. He twirled the swords in his hands.
Are they for real? If possible, these men seemed more insane than Kawayuki. She slowly backed away.
“Do you think Kawayuki would spare you if you kept your hair nice?”
***
“No.” Much to his surprise, it was the woman who replied. Katsuo took a second glance at her. Takeru was correct in his assessment of her long brown hair. It was indeed beautiful in its unusual color. Her face had gentle features, and elegant eyebrows framed dark purple eyes.
Katsuo could see the bruises already forming on her cheeks and a small bump on her forehead and noticed her split lips. Kawayuki wasn’t gentle while handling her, and Katsuo idly wondered what she could have done to deserve such treatment. Maybe nothing. Kawayuki thrived on hurting people weaker than him.
“Go,” Katsuo waved at her.
She blinked, and a puzzled expression came over her face.
“What?”
“I don’t want to repeat myself,” Katsuo said, bending down to retrieve the katana he had dropped when lunging for the snake. The woman took a step back and stumbled. She ended up falling on her bottom and looked at him as if he had threatened her life.
Katsuo ignored the sudden pang in his heart and turned to his brother. “Let’s go find Ayaka,” he said, walking away. Takeru quickly followed him.
“Wait!” the woman shouted after them, hastily standing. He ignored her. “Did you say Ayaka? The little girl who was wearing a pink robe with bunnies on it?”
Katsuo tensed hearing that. She had met Ayaka, he thought and glanced back over his shoulder, a question in his eyes. The woman nervously wet her lips.
“She was just ahead of me.”
“She has escaped?”
“Yes, we escaped together, then she ran ahead,” she explained, looking around. “She must be somewhere nearby.”
“Did you see which direction she went?”
Her expression fell as she turned her gaze on him. She was so sad yet beautiful in her own way.
“No, I’m sorry.”
He let out a frustrated sigh before turning away and continuing on his way.
“Wait!”
Takeru let out a small chuckle, which earned him a glare from Katsuo.
“Can I help you?”
“Help us?” Katsuo asked, flabbergasted as he fully turned back to face her. “You can’t even protect yourself from a snake.”
If she felt offended, she covered the feeling with her pride as she puffed out her chest – he only just noticed how abundant she was in that area – and straightened her spine. Katsuo flicked his gaze back to her eyes.
“I might not be of much help in a fight, but I can help find a lost little girl!”
“Well, she might prove useful…” Takeru whispered to him.
“I don’t have time for this,” Katsuo sighed. He nodded at the woman. “Come if you must.”
A bright smile appeared on her face at his words, and Katsuo felt his heart skip a beat. He cursed.
“What is it?” Takeru asked, suspicious of his behavior.
“Nothing,” he replied. When the woman caught up with them, he decided to split the party up. Takeru would go alone and he with the woman. His brother happily accepted and winked at him before jogging away. Oh no, he totally got the wrong idea. Katsuo dreaded the hour when they would arrive back at Shirotatsu castle.
He turned in the opposite direction Takeru had gone, and the woman fell in place beside him. Katsuo furrowed his eyebrows. It was not customary for a woman to walk next to a man. Before he opened his mouth to correct her, he was reminded of her foreign status as she looked up at him expectantly with her purple-hued eyes. He didn’t remember seeing anyone with such eye color.
“What is it?” she asked, curious.
Katsuo turned back to the path.
“How did you meet Ayaka?”
A troubled sigh escaped her.
“This bastard, Kawayuki, threatened to hurt her if I didn’t do something for him.”
The path narrowed to only one person wide. Katsuo took the lead, walking further into the woods.
“What did you tell him?”
“Well, I didn’t want her to get hurt, but Kawayuki was asking for the impossible.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. I don’t see into his depraved mind,” she quipped, and his lips twitched in amusement. He cleared his throat.
“I mean, why would you want to help Ayaka? You don’t know her.”
The movement behind him stopped, and he turned around to see the woman looking at him like he was a big idiot. He raised an eyebrow, but that didn’t faze her.
“She’s just a little girl,” was all she said. Katsuo sensed there was more to the story but didn’t pressure her. He turned around to continue his search. This part of the forest was dense.
“Ouch!” Katsuo heard her painful hiss. Sighing, he turned back around. What now?
“I-it’s okay, I can keep on going,” she said. “Maybe a bit slower. Sorry,” she said, looking down at her feet. Had she been walking barefoot all this time? The forest floor was full of small rocks with jagged edges, twigs and, whatnot.
Katsuo was about to reply when a nearby bush rustled and someone jumped out at them. His blade moved before he could register what color the uniform was. When he realized it was black, he cut down the enemy in one move.
The woman stood there in shock, trembling from head to toe. She gulped as their eyes met. She broke the stare first as she looked away. Her small hands made a fist, slightly trembling.
Then she ran to the nearest bush to empty the contents of her stomach.