Games of the Heart
The Second TUA Round Robin (Whew!)
Part Eight

 

 

*Keiko's dream*

"Keiko, wake up!" her brother Anji shouted.
"Hmm?" Keiko groaned. She turned onto her other side, trying to block out her brothers screaming and fall back asleep.
"Keiko, hurry." his voice was down to a harsh whisper as if he was afraid that someone might here them and find were they were. "There here!"
"What?" Keiko asked, sitting up and looking at her brother with frightened eyes. "Who's here?!"
"Shh!" he whispered, telling her to be more quiet about it, "The soldiers. Their not to far from camp, we need to go!"
Keiko didn't need to be told twice. She immeadiatly got up, to her brothers surprise, and walked over to the rest who were trying to hide behind a big patch of trees, waiting for her.
'I'm glad they didn't leave me behind,' she thought gloomily.
"Good, were all here." said Night Jiro. "Now, lets get on the horses and get out of here!"
"No, we better walk. They might here the horses." said Otaru.
"But we'll get out of here faster if we ride," argued Kakeru, forgetting to keep his voice low.
"Lets just-"
"Hey!" a deep, musky voice called from behind them. They all looked to see a lanky souldier with a scruffy mustache pointing in their direction, yelling "There they are!"
"Great, lets get out of here!" yelled Rina. But it was to late, the soldiers were already charging at them with full speed.
"Otaru, take the women and get out of here!" shouted Jiro, before drawing out his sword and proudly marching out to battle (head first) screaming like a mad bull (authors note: sry, I don't know why I put that in there.)
Otaru didn't argue, he and all the girls started running for shelter, when Anji and kakeru also charged out to battle, yelling.
They finally spotted a nice big hollow tree were they ran for cover. Surpringly they all fit (Authors note: Hey, I know what your thinking, but its my turn to write and this IS a dream, sooo... Anything can happen).
"*gasp for air* we made *gasp* it." said Keiko, who was tired from running and surprised none of the soldiers had spotted them and dashed to catch them.
...She spoke to soon,
"There you are!" said an ugly little man with yellow teeth, bad breath and a little tin hat that served as a helmet. He poked his head into there little hiding place, breathing into their faces, causing the girls to scream in panic and Otaru gasp for clean air.
The smelly soldier raised his sword ready strike, when-

*end of dream*

"Keiko!" said Anji for the hundreth time.
"What?!" snapped Keiko (is she always cranky when she wakes up?)
"They found us." he whispered.

Keiko pinched herself. "Oww! This is real, isn't it??!" She cried. Anji put his hand on her mouth.
"Be quiet! Or do you WANT to die??" He whispered. Fearful tears ran down her cheeks, as they made it to the horses, where the rest were waiting.
'Waitasec, I remember this part..' She thought. "The horses will be too loud."
"On them, we have a better chance of survival then on foot.." Otaru said.
'Wait, wasn't he supposed to agree to walk on foot? Oh, forget the dream, Keiko! This is REAL!!' She nodded as Anji got on his horse.
"You ladies go to the right path as fast as you can. We'll stay behind, and-" Anji said.
"No.." Jiro interrupted.
"What?" Anji raised an eyebrow.
"Your Highness, in the first battle, I meant to fight alone. I do not wish for you to die. As a Knight, it is my place on the battlefeild. You need not concern yourself with matters such as these. Make your escape, I'll hold them off. I wish you all well." Jiro said, as he headed in the opposite direction, to attract the atention of the soldiers, before Anji could stop him.
"So brave.." Otaru marvelled. They all could not believe his valor.
"I agree.." Rina smiled.
"So stupid, is more like it.. He's going to get himself killed!!" Anji said furiously.
"Anji.." Keiko cried quietly. "It's his choice.."
"But Keiko, I-" He turned his horse to follow Jiro.
"Anji!! I don't want you to die!! Dont go!! I don't want to lose you!! Let's just leave!!" Keiko bawled uncontrollably. Anji put his arm on her shoulder.
"If I don't go now, they'll kill him and come after us anyway! I have to help him." Anji said, as he went off in the direction Jiro headed in.
"Anji is so brave!!" Naoki said.
"He's right.." Kakeru got a determined look on his face.
"Not you, too!!" Keiko sobbed.
"Don't worry, I'll make sure he comes back to you safe.." Kakeru smiled, as he rode off.
"I guess that's my cue.." Otaru laughed.
"You, too?" Aika said.
"No!!" Keiko clinged to Otaru. "Don't go!! You don't have to!! Stay here with us!"
Otaru blushed, and looked at Keiko. "I know what it's like to lose ones you love.. Don't worry, we have Sir Jiro, and Prince Kakeru on our side. They are both skilled fighters, and then there's Prince Anji.." He trailed off.
"EXACTLY!! He's going to get himself killed!! I just know it!!" Keiko cried.
"What was that??" Came a voice.
"We'd better get out of here!!" Staci said. Otaru helped Keiko onto her horse, and they rode to the right path. Keiko quickly went to the left path, where the men had gone.
"KEIKO!!" Staci yelled.

Kakeru heard the clattering of weapons and armor. 'I'm heading the right way..' He thought. 'I have to go. I can't let her lose her brother. I can't..' He headed into battle, and looked at the odds. Six or seven soldiers, against the three of them. He saw bodies scattered on the ground. He looked at Jiro, fighting valiantly, and Anji, who wasn't doing so well.

Anji held his arm protectively. 'As if sword fighting wasn't difficult enough, now I have to do it one handed!' He thought, as he slowly, but surely downed another man. Two men came at him, and then came a third. He was surrounded, no way to escape. The one to his right charged, and he knew it was all over. Anji closed his eyes. The man raised his sword, and..
He heard a scream, and opened his eyes. Kakeru had killed the man, and was getting the upper hand on another!
"Anji, going for the one armed, eyes closed method? It might impress the girls, but it's harder than it looks!" Kakeru smiled, as he ran the soldier through.
"Thanks.." Anji smirked. "But don't think you're off the hook for the whole you and my sister thing.."

Keiko hoped the bow that she made didn't break, because she was going to need it. She had to make sure she got Anji back. Sure, he was a pain sometimes, but he helped her, protected her, took care of her, and he was her big brother, for goodness sake! She found herself at another split in the road. 'Oh no!! Now where?!?'
She heard horses behind her. Quickly, she went to the right. About ten minutes later, she came to another crossroad. 'Noo!! I must have gone the wrong way!' She took the left this time. A little while later, she came to where the road split in three. She finally decided, she was lost.

Otaru rode back to where he was supposed to meet the girls.
"I found her, but then I lost her." Otaru sighed.
"We should go find her, I don't think she has any idea where she's going!!" Aika said.
"I'm almost positive I saw her heading to Gildur.." Otaru scratched his head.
"Gildur?? Why, that's in the kingdom of Allaras!!" Naoki exclaimed.
"I thought we were going to Par Duneth.." Aika looked at Otaru.
"If we go to Gildur, then to Par Duneth, we'll be making one huge circle leading back to Sosaria.." Staci said.
"Her Highness is in danger all alone, we have to go find her.." Otaru said worriedly.
"I agree. They're looking for her, not the rest of us. And she's wandering out there all alone!" Rina headed towards the direction Keiko was in.

"We did it!!" Anji said happily.
"Not quite.." Jiro replied, as he pointed to about twenty men coming their way.
"Let's get out of here.." Kakeru said.
"Run from a battle??" Jiro stareed in disbelief.
"This is a battle we can't win.." Anji held his bleeding arm. "Besides, I think my arm is broken.."
"What?!" Kakeru and Jiro gasped.

Jiro, Anji and Kakeru ran for the hills.
They could here the loud shouting and stomping of the soldiers, not too far behind them. They urged their horses to go faster but that didn't last long. thier horses soon grew tired, and they had to find a big patch of trees to hide behind as the soldiers passed by them.
They watched the last hoves go by, and waited till the yelling died out till they turned around, prepaing to run for it before the dumb soldiers relized they had been tricked.
"Haha, there so stupid. are they not-?" Jiro was cut off by three large figures standing in front of them.
They were all wearing metal warrior siuts. The middle one wore a red feather in his helmet, telling them that he was a general. He carried a club in his hand that he smacked at his palm with.
"Help" squeeked Anji.
They all turned around hoping to make an escape that way.
But there were three more large men standing in there way.
They turned every which way, looking for an escape, but found themselves surrounded...

Keiko took serveral turns, still looking for the battle feild and hoping that it wasn't too late to save her brothers life.
She heard loud stomping feet and deep musky voices chanting:
"We are large and fat
But this song we like to chant,
we come from afar
to stick your head in tar
But if we sit on you, don't mind the smell
We like to drink out beer at the bottom of the well."
(authors note: that stunk, don't blame me for the last two lines, it was Liz's idea.)
'Oh,no.' thought Keiko. 'Here they come...-wait! that means the fights over... and if there still here... then we- lost! And I'm to late to save Anji. Nooo!'
Keiko kicked her horse in the side, urging him to go faster.
"NEEEEIGH-EIIGH!" the horse squeeled. Keiko had kicked him to hard, and now he was angry.
He started galloping around like an angry pit-bull. In fact, he started running towards the large dark figures ahead...

"Uhg, don't they ever shut-up?" whispered Kakeru to Jiro.
"Shh- they might hear you!" he hissed back.
"There to dumb to hear anything," Anji said, joining in on their conversation. "If they had brains they would have come up with a better song than /THAT/!"
The large strangers were carring them each by the arms, putting them in a very uncomfortable postion, and a pain-ful one for Anji and his brooken arm.
"Ahh!" Anji cried as another sharp pain washed threw his injured limb.
"shh.." Jiro said, you don't want to let them know there getting to us."
"But my ARM!"
"Shh...'
The giants started to sway them to the beet of their song, "UHG!" Anji cried even louder as several more shots of pain swept over them, coming much quicked now. His feet dangled in the air and his face became read with anger. He was just about to use his dangling feet to kick one of the kid-nappers rear ends when they heared a familiar voice screaming,
"AAHHHH! GET ME OFF OF THIS THING!!"
"Keiko!" Kakeru let out a yell of surprise.
Anji shot him a glare, despite the pain he was recieving.

Keiko started yelling out of panic. She was going to fall off at any moment, she knew it!
"Ahhh!- huh?- Anji?!" she spotted her brother and some other of her traveling companions being held by the large singers.
She was so surprised to see them alive, and in the company of these figures that she forgot about the horse, letting go of the righns and falling off, hitting her head on a tree and falling to the ground un-consience.

The giants were so frightened by the charging horse that they let go of their prisners and ran for the hills, the white spotted horse chasing after them.
Jiro, Anji and Kakeru rushed to Keiko's side to see what dammage had been done to her.
Just at that moment, Otaru, Rina, Aika and Staci came running out from another path.
"There you are!" yelled Staci.
"We've been looking for you all over." Rina said, taking deep breaths and clutching at a stitch in her side.
"Did you win-" Aika was cut off by Otaru shouting.
"What happened to Keiko?"

They quickly rode away from the direction the soldiers were in, and once they were sure they weren't being followed, everyone rested, and checked out their wounds. Keiko was set down on a blanket by Otaru. Kakeru sat beside her.
"I think she's got a concussion.." Otaru scratched his head.
"You think?" Kakeru said sarcastically.

"Ah, this is very bad.." Naoki cringed as she looked at Anji's arm inside their makeshift tent, slash hospital.
"Don't TELL him that!!" Aika said as she worriedly watched 'her' Anji.
"OWW!!!" Anji jerked his arm away from Naoki and cradled it. "Why did you just poke it?!!"
"I had to see where it broke.." She said.
"You guys don't know what you're doing, do you??" Staci asked. "Maybe you should go attend your OTHER patient.."

But Keiko already had too many doctors in the house.
"Well? Aren't you going to check her pulse or something??" Kakeru folded his arms.
"I'm not a doctor, I have no idea what I'm doing!" Otaru exclaimed. Rina sighed.
"Men never know what they're doing.." She said, as she watched the two.
Kakeru tried to check Keiko's pulse on her wrist. "I can't tell anything.."
"You mean she has no pulse?!" Otaru opened his eyes wide.
"No, I mean, maybe, I mean, how should I know??" Both of the boys looked at each other. Otaru blushed furiously, and reluctantly put his hand below her left breast.
"I can't feel anything.." He said as he moved his hand off of her chest where her heart was. "She doesn't look like she's breathing.. But, I don't know, she might just be awfully relaxed since she's unconcious."
Jiro laughed. "Hath thou heard of 'CPR'??" Rina giggled.
Kakeru and Otaru were red with embarrassment. Otaru looked at Kakeru. "No way!" he blushed.
"She might die!" Otaru exclaimed.
"You do it!" Kakeru said.
"M-m-me???" Otaru studdered in embarrassment.
"You know, she could die while you two are discussing this.." Rina said.
Kakeru hastily leaned towards Keiko, took a deep breath, pinched her nose closed, and..
Keiko's eyelashed fluttered, and her eyes opened. She screamed at the sight she awoke to.

Meanwhile, Anji had his arm wrapped up by Staci, and heard the scream. He ran out to see Kakeru, red with embarrassement, crouching beside a tree and holding his hands up protectively, as he was being smacked with a tree branch by Keiko who was also red, from embarrassment AND anger. Otaru stared at them, also blushing, and Jiro and Rina were bursting at the seems from laughing so hard.
"What is it?!!?" Anji exclaimed.
"He-he-he-he... He tried to KISS me!!!" Keiko studdered, as she kept hitting Kakeru.

"Oww!! No, I- OWW!! I was only- OUCH!! I was trying to-- OWW!!" Kakeru said, as Keiko hit him.
"You were trying to kiss me while I was unconcious!! PIG!!" Keiko smacked him.
"WHAT?!?!" Anji went red with anger. "Keiko, stop!!" He yelled, as he grabbed the large branch from Keiko. "Let ME do it..." Anji lifted the branch to smack Kakeru with it.
"Stop!" Otaru said quickly. "He was trying to give her mouth to mouth.."
"Exactly!! That's why I'm hitting him!!" Anji said as he looked at Otaru.
"No.. We thought she was dying or something, and then Sir Jiro suggested.." Otaru blushed. "So he was trying to save your life."
"By KISSING me?!?!" Keiko exclaimed. Naoki and Aika walked out of the tent as they heard what was going on.
"He wasn't trying to kiss you. He was trying to give you air. These idiots obviously can't tell when someone's breathing or not." Naoki giggled.
"Now let's go. It's a long way to Par Duneth.." Aika smiled.
Keiko still didn't believe Kakeru, so she kept her distance from him all day.
She walked over to Otaru who seemed deep in thought...

Otaru was thinking about all that had happened to them in the last couple of days. He noticed that he could never show his face in the old Kingdom again, he was probally a convicted criminal now. They were probally all out looking for him, keiko, Kakeru and... ANJI!
Then it hit him, why WAS Anji here? He had just shown up all beaten and torn without any explination.
He had made his mind up to ask him later when all the sudden Keiko appeared at his side.

"Whach ya thinkin `bout?" she chirped in an annoyingly cheerful voice.
"Looks like Keiko's flirting with Otaru." whispered Aika to Rina.
The two girls giggled silently behind them.
Otaru blushed as he heared not only Keiko but the two giggling girls.
"Um... nothing much." he lied.
"Oh," Keiko said, her face faultering. She had really wanted to tease him about something. But it looked this wasn't her chance...

"Are we almost there?" Whined Staci to Anji.
"Your starting to sound like Keiko," was all Anji said.
"Hey!" Keiko called from behind him. Out of no were a shoe came flying at Anji's head. He easily avoided, cathcing it with his hand and throwing it back at Keiko and hitting her in the nose.
"Oww!"
Staci giggled, making Anji blush.
'Giggling should be illeagal.' Thought Anji. 'Wait a min! I'm prince! I can make it illeagal!' then he remembered why he had run away in the first place. '...oh yeah, I can't.'

 

Later that Night

The group had decided to stop for the night, the girls were complaining they were tired, and quit frankly, the boys were to.
At dinner, Otaru pulled Anji aside to talk to him.
"What is it?!" snapped Anji, who was keeping a close eye on his sister, so that that prince brat wouldn't try anything else.
"I've been meaning to ask you something..."

Kakeru scooted a little closer to Keiko, meaning to ask her to forgive him for earlier this morning. But as soon as he got with in a foot within her, she threw her fish stick at his head and he backed off (authors note: wait, were'd they get fish sticks?)

Anji was snapped back to reality by Otaru's question.
He sighed heavily. "Why'd I leave?" he repeated.
Otaru waited patiently as he watched Prince Anji run a hand threw his hair, obviously deep in thought.
"Our kingdom is, well, under control of Obari."
"WHAT?!"
"Shh... Keep it down, I haven't told Keiko yet!"

Keiko's head snapped up when she heared Otaru exclaim "WHAT?!"
She watched as Anji quickly quieted him. She was about to walk over there and ask what all the funny buissness was about when she felt someone elses hand on hers.
"Huh?" Keiko asked, she turned to see Kakeru sitting VERY close to her and holding her hand...
"SMACK!"
Kakeru rubbed the spot on his face were Keiko had slapped him, and Keiko returned her attention back to her brother and Otaru, trying to listen more closely to what they were saying.

"What do you mean you haven't told her, why not?!" he asked, more quietly this time.
"I-I was afraid."

Anji managed to make it through the night and the next morning without telling Keiko about their Kingdom. That afternoon, they reached the town of Rinnith..

"Well, Mr. Merchant?" Staci smiled.
"What?" Keiko asked.
"This is Rinnith, the town of business. everything goes for a price here." Otaru said, distantly, as if his mind was on something else..
"You okay??" Kakeru asked.
"Hmm.." Otaru said. He paused, then blinked. "Huh? Oh, yeah. Sure." His usual smiled reappeared on his face. As they got farther into the town, it turned into one large marketplace.
"Thirty Gold pieces." A man said to his customer, as he was about to hand him a chicken.
"I can get you a better one for twenty!" Yelled a man two booths down, and the customer walked his way.

Rina's eyes sparkled at all she saw. After all, not many of the finer things in life found their way into a brothel for the girls to see. She looked in awe at the rare jewels from far away lands.
"Nothing I could sell would match your delicate beauty, M'lady." The merchant smiled at her. She blushed. Anji raised a eyebrow.
"Remember, Rina-san, these are salesmen. Never believe what they say." He said. She frowned at him.
"At least this one does not lie." Jiro smiled. Naoki and Staci giggled.

Keiko's eyes were caught on the most beautiful necklace she'd ever seen. She smiled happily, while others around her looked at her.
"Kei!!" Anji cried. 'You're supposed to be a BOY!! Can't you get anything right?!' He thought.
"But Annjiiii..." Keiko whined. She then realized the problem. "Uh, I mean, I was, erm.. I, uh.. I thought Aika or Naoki might like it..."
The man laughed and slapped Keiko on the back. "A gift for a lady, eh?"
She sweatdropped. "Umm, yeah.."
"We don't have the money.." Anji told her.
"I'll spend my own on it!"
"We need that for food!"
"But..."
"No!" Anji folded his arms. Keiko pouted. He leaned in closer to her. "You've got like fifty like it at home!"
"But I want a souvenir!" She said quietly. She looked over to Rina, who looked longingly at another necklace. Infact, one she already had at home, but hers was much nicer. She felt a pang of guilt. 'I bet she doesn't have anything like that..'
"Fine, use your own money if you want to.. It's your food you're wasting.." Anji rolled his eyes. 'Girls...'
Keiko sat and thought a second. She smiled, then bought the necklace.

Kakeru used some of his money and bought a flute. He hoped he hadn't lost his musical sense after all of this, especially without his daily lessons. He put it in his pack, and led his horse. He looked to Otaru. A sad expression was on his face. He rarely saw Otaru sad. Wasn't Otaru the chipper one of the group?

Rina sighed, as they passed another lovely stall. She wondered if she would ever own such nice things. What was she here for again? What was she doing? Let's see.. Keiko and Anji had to get back to their kingdoms, Kakeru had to find his parents, Aika and Naoki were going with Keiko and Anji, Otaru searched for his past, Sir Jiro wanted to return to Par Duneth, Staci also wanted to return to Sosaria, and then there was her. She had no life out of the brothel. Nothing. After everyone left, who would take care of her? Would she be all alone? Would their royal highnesses ever allow a girl from a brothel into their courts? Would she become a lady-in-waiting? Or was it too much to hope? Could she fit in there? She tried to free herself of these thoughts.

They were out of the town, and were resting in a small valley for a bit, while they ate lunch. Rina looked over at Otaru. He seemed so.. Sad.. Wait. Otaru? Sad? Something didn't add up here. "Rina," She heard. She turned to see Keiko, her hands outstretched, with a piece of folded green silk in them. Everyone looked at her, smiling.
"Hmm??" Rina raised her eyebrow.
"Here." Keiko smiled, as she handed the cloth to Rina. "Open it."
Rina unwrapped the beautiful silk, and almost cried. Five times more beautiful, no, ten times more beautiful than anything she'd ever seen, a golden necklace, covered with gems. "Is this.. This can't be.. For me?" She felt soft tears run down her cheeks.
"I was going to keep it," Keiko said. Staci elbowed her.
"But then we all decided you should have it." Naoki smiled.
"T-thank you.." She wiped her eyes, and blushed, embarrassed at the scene she was making. "Thank you so much!" She smiled. 'Maybe I could fit in..' She thought.

Later, Otaru looked down at the fire at their camp. They'd since past the valley and it was now nighttime, and they decided to stop for the night.
"No one goes into This forest at night.." Jiro said wearily.
"What forest?" Keiko asked.
"The forest of Shadows.." Jiro said wih total seriousness.
Keiko sighed and sat next to Otaru.
"What's up?" She smiled.
".."
"Otaru?"
"Oh.. What?"
"I said, 'What's up?'."
"Nothing." He sighed.
"What's wrong?" Keiko tilted her head. Otaru chuckled. It was like something a puppy did when it didn't understand what you were saying. "What? What's so funny?"
"Nothing.." He smiled.
"Is that your answer to everything?" Keiko was slightly annoyed. Mostly because she didn't get the answer she wanted.
"Mmhmm.." Otaru said.
"That's a contradiction." Kakeru said, sitting down. "If it was your answer to everthing, the answer to is that your answer to everything would be nothing."
"Umm.. Okay.. I guess you're right.." Otaru sweatdropped.
Keiko laughed, then suddenly furrowed her brows at Kakeru.
"What?" He asked.
"I'm still mad at you." She pouted.
"Fine." He sighed, as he took out his flute.

Keiko's eyes grew large, as she saw something shiny in his hands. "What's that??" She saw it and
thoughts popped into her head of what it could be. It was silver, so maybe.. A piece of jewelry? A dagger? A key?
"It's a flute.." He said, as he polished it.
'A FLUTE?! Of all the interesting 'shiny' things in the world, he picked a flute...' She mentally grumbled.

Kakeru closed his eyes, and played a song he'd heard often in the music halls of the castle. Such a beautiful melody. Soft, and sad, yet so lovely. Keiko felt so moved by the music. She hadn't heard music, atleast, music like this, in a long time. For her, the tune was nothing short of romantic. For Otaru, however, it sounded saddening. Keiko looked at the look on his face.
"What's wrong? I'm not taking 'nothing' for an answer!" She confronted him.
"I.." He looked away from the two. "I don't remember."
"What??" Kakeru raised an eyebrow.
"I don't remember.." He closed his eyes. "Nothing.."
"Nope I said no more 'nothing's." Keiko said sternly.
"I don't remember anything!" Otaru put his head in his hands. "Everything around here, it's so familiar, but I can't remember! Years ago, I could remember their faces.. Her smile.. The way he would rustle my hair, but.. It's all gone..." He stood up, and began to walk away. "I need to be alone."

Kakeru felt an ache inside him. He felt the same way. He knew... He knew Otaru meant his parents. He felt the same about his. He used to remember them so easily, now even the memories were disappearing. His mother's gentle embrace when she hugged him, when his father would smile and tell him he was getting older.. When.. ' "We have to go after him.." ' Broke his thoughts.
"Who??" He said.
"Who?! Otaru! He's headed towards the forest of shadows!!" Keiko said worriedly.

"What?!" Jiro exclaimed, having overheard Keiko's last words. He stood and turned his head toward the direction of the bleakly uninviting forest, and his eyes went wide.

"Sir Jiro?" Rina asked timidly, standing up beside the chestnut-haired knight.

"It is imperitive that we retrieve him!" the knight announced, starting at a sprint towards the forest. Surprisingly, Staci was second to follow him.

"Hey!" Keiko said, as the remainder of the group headed after Jiro and Staci. The princess eventually caught up with Staci.

"What is there to worry about in the forest of shadows?" she asked cautiously.

"Dryads," Staci replied simply, her eyes focused intently on the iron-clad knight who raced in front of her. Keiko arched her eyebrows at the girl's reply.

"But I didn't think that dryads were harmful," she said pointedly, and Staci gave her a hard look.

"These dryads are," she replied, stopping abruptly as Jiro called them to a halt with a wave of his hand. Anji walked up silently to the knight and joined him at the edge of the forest.

"He's already in there, I take it," the freckled prince said quietly to the knight, who nodded in reply. Jiro then turned to Keiko and the others.

"Prince Kakeru, thou shalt accompany His Majesty and I into the dreaded woods." Jiro then turned to Staci. "Lady, please stay with the other women whilst we retrieve our companion. Return to the fire and keep it low, as it may attract the attention of the dryads."

Without waiting for protest, the knight turned toward the forest and walked in, his chain mail clinking noisely as the shadows covered him. Kakeru and Anji glanced at eachother quickly before also entering the forest.

"Don't try to follow us," Anji said quickly before walking fully into the trees. "You'll only get yourself killed." With that said, he disappeared.

At first, Keiko had attempted to follow, but realized it was indeed useless as Staci kept an iron grip on her arm. She gave up, and consented to merely watching the dismal forest for any sign of her brother or the others.

From the outside, the forest seemed bleak and uninviting, almost a warning to passers-by. Now that Jiro, Anji, and Kakeru were all inside, however, it was nothing short of splendid. The outside appearance was, indeed, extremely decieving. Moss, which varied in color, covered the floor of the forest like a vast carpet. As the three walked forward, the noticed that the turf was delightfully springy under their tired feet. Kakeru found it hard to keep back a grin as he followed Jiro.

Jiro, however lovely the forest appeared, stayed wary. He simply KNEW that the dryads were hiding somewhere, obviously holding their noble serf companion captive and wondering how to boil him. Or, he thought, as a blush crept to his cheeks, they might be finding OTHER uses for the boy...

"Why are you blushing?" Anji asked the knight suddenly, staring, with some amusement, at Jiro's pink face. Then a grin broke out on the prince's face. "Anxious to see those dryads, eh?" he jovially poked the knight in the ribs through the mail shirt he wore.

"No offense meant, Highness," Jiro said sourly, "By thy antics irritate me."

"I think that was his intention," Kakeru noted absently, his eyes searching the trees. When he had first walked into the forest, he'd gotten some kind of funny feeling, which he had quickly pushed off. Now, he concentrated himself on it, almost sure that the trees were eminating that feeling.

A sudden greenish blur caught his eye, and he let out a startled gasp. The blur stopped, and Kakeru's mouth gaped open.

The figure of a very pretty woman sat perched on a tree branch high above, a bow in her hand and aimed determinedly at Jiro. Kakeru, realizing the knight's danger, backed into him accidentally, causing the knight to topple over in his heavy armor.

"Prince Kakeru, thou--" the knight's words caught in his throat as he, too, noticed the figure sitting in the branches.

Within mere minutes, the dryads had appeared all over the forest. The three men were surrounded. A couple of them sneered, some grinned, the others narrowed there eyes.

"Uhh.." Kakeru sweatdropped. "We, uhh.. Come in peace??"

A few of them laughed.

"Listen, we're just looking for a friend of ours, and-" Anji started. He didn't like the look in their eyes.

Keiko couldn't believe they'd left her behind. "So they're safer than we are?!"

"Yep." Aika said.

 

"WHY?!" Keiko cried.

"Because.." Staci blushed. "They would kill us right away. The dryads have no USE for girls."

Keiko opened her eyes wide in shock. "They wouldn't DARE.." She said as she blushed.

Otaru began to wander, and found himself sitting on a log. He felt horrible. He knew he had to find his parents. His painful thoughts were broken, by the sound of rustling leaves. He finally realized how dark and spooky this place was. Shadows quickly caught his eye, as they passed in the darkness. "Who's there?!" He exclaimed.

"I have to go!!" Keiko cried, as she ran towards the forest.

"Keiko!" Naoki yelled. Keiko was a few feet away from the trees, when..

"What good can you do them dead?" Aika said bluntly. Keiko stopped dead in her tracks.

"How can you be so mean?! They could KILL them!!" She cried as she walked back towards them.

"And they could kill you." Rina said. Keiko slumped down onto the ground and started bawling.

'I hope they're alright..' Naoki thought worriedly.

Otaru suddenly remembered. He was in the forest of shadows. Why was it called that? He soon found out. In the corner of his eye he saw movement. "Who's there?!" He called again. Then, a woman came out from behind a tree. One jumped out of another tree. soon, many were appearing as if from no where. 'Dryads!' He thought. They wearily approached him, and looked at him sympathetically.

"What??" He asked.

"What's wrong, Otaru??" One of them asked. He gasped.

"Do I know you??" He asked.

The men were being brought to a camp, tied at the wrists. Anji cried hysterically, thinking these were his last moments. "Kakeru!! I'm sorry for trying to kill you! And Jiro! I'm sorry for stealing one of your muffins while you weren't looking!" He looked up to the sky. "Tell my sister I love her, no matter how annoying she is sometimes!! And my parents!! And Staci!! I never told Staci how I felt about her!! And tell Keiko it was ME who put the rat in her salad when she was eight! And tell her I'm sorry for picking on her when she fell off her pony!!" He confessed to no one in particular.

"Uhh.." Jiro sweatdropped.

"And tell Naoki thanks for always giving me the bigger sandwich!!"

"I knew it!" Kakeru narrowed his eyes.

"And tell Aika I cheated when we were playing chess! And-"

"With all due respects, your Highness.." Jiro said. "SNAP OUT OF IT!"

Once they reached the camp, they got ready to say goodbye to their lives, and their, umm, uh.. *sweatdrops* virginity.. Whichever came first.

"Don't kill us!! PLEASE!!" Anji cried. One of them smiled.

"Let's see.." She said. "Bring the one with red hair and the one with dark hair into the tents. We'll kill the shiny one."

Kakeru and Anji looked at Jiro, who looked, surprisingly calm.

"I am Sir Jiro of Par Duneth, and I am prepared for death." He said boldly.

"Wait a second, what are they going to do with US??" Kakeru whispered to Anji.

Both blushed furiously.

"Any last requests, Knight?" Another asked.

"That you let these two go." He said honorably.

"We have plans for these two.." One of them smirked impishly.

"They are the Princes Anji and Kakeru. They don't deserve this." Jiro told them. Some of them gasped. Not because of that, but because another group of dryads showed up with.. Otaru!!

"Otaru!!" Kakeru exclaimed. More of the dryads rushed over to Otaru.

"What's going on? Why are you guys here?" Otaru asked.

"We hath been captured.." Jiro said.

"By them??" Otaru raised an eyebrow.

"Verily, 'tis true.." Jiro nodded.

"Do you know these men?" A girl asked Otaru.

"Of course I know them!" Otaru pressed, struggling with the hold one of the dryads had on his arm. "These are my FRIENDS!"

Beside him, an orange-haired girl with green-tinted skin grinned deviously. "Can I have the dark-haired one?" She pleaded with the serf-boy, stepping out from the crowd and grabbing Kakeru's arm possesively. The prince looked down at her with fear plain in his dark eyes.

"But I wanted that one!" Another of the dryads exclaimed, running to claim a part of the prince. Another dryad, slightly shorter than the rest, ecstatically lunged herself upon Anji.

"I want THIS one!" she chirped happily. Anji turned pale, taking sharp notice of the dagger than hang in plain view from a strap on her hip. Two more girls, looking very similar in lavender tunics adorned with maple leaves, greedily flung themselves upon the iron-clad Jiro.

"We wanna keep this one!" they both announced in excited unison, nearly strangling their Sir Knight in a tight and crushing hug around the neck.

"What're you all DOING?" Otaru burst suddenly, approaching the growing crowd of dryads. Quite to his surprise as anyone else's, the crowd of green-tinged women stopped thier fawning, and looked at him. Their unusually colored eyes pierced into him with sudden adoration, and they slowly approached him, releasing their sullen prizes (much to their relief).

"It's you!" A silver-haired girl accused disbelievingly, poking a tiny finger in Otaru's direction. "You're the one we've been waiting for!"

Otaru's jaw dropped as the women crowded around him in an awed kind of silence. He gulped.

"Wha-what do you mean?" the serf-boy stuttered. The crowd continued to press in on him.

"You're Xlera's baby!" A taller girl with golden curls said pointedly, as a murmer passed through the throng of dryads. Otaru's eyes widened in utter astonishment.

"H-how..." he murmured, "How did you know my mother's name...?"

A tiny girl, clad in an olive-colored tunic with a belt about the waist, grabbed the dazed serf-boy by the wrist and began pulling him happily into the crowd.

"Come on!" the tiny girl said as she led him through the mass of women, who followed after her with an excited kind of hush. "We need to show you something!"

Obediently as always, Otaru followed the tiny girl, scarcely taking in the fact that Jiro, Kakeru, and Anji were by his side the instant he had started moving. The dryads gave no objections to their presence as they led the dazed boy through the forest.

The unusual group stopped abruptly in front of a large, gray, and deteriorating oak tree. One of the dryads, wearing a golden-leafed tunic with a bow slung over her shoulder, knelt down in front of the tree in a prayer-like manner. The others followed suit, staying in the position for a few moments before rising again, respectfully, to their feet.

One of the dryads, who Otaru had overlooked before, pushed her way through the crowd toward the stunned boy. She waved her hand in a dismissive fashion and the group, giving one last glance toward Otaru and their 'prizes', departed into the trees. It was not long before the group consisted of only himself, Jiro, Kakeru, Anji, and the dryad.

Otaru observed the dryad women closely. She looked far older than the rest of them, and far more refined in a silky robe of deep green. Her eyes were an entrancing reddish color, he noticed, and her hair was of the deepest gold. She also wore a circlet of gold, shaped like leaves, around her head.

"This was your mother's tree," the woman said, indicating the old, decaying oak before them. Otaru's eyes went wide as he stared at the vast oak, and he approached it.

"What do you mean, when you say it was 'her tree'?" he asked quietly, regarding the crumbling tree with a look of awe. Kakeru observed, with an odd interest, that Otaru seemed to already know the answer to his question.

"She was one of us," the woman answered reverently, also looking at the tree with a profound respect. "A dryad of this very same forest."

Anji let out a startled gasp. "Otaru, your mother was a DRYAD?" he asked incredulously. "But, that's impossible!"

The dryad turned her eyes to Anji with an unreadable expression. "How is it impossible, Noble Prince?"

Anji ignored the fact that she was aware of his title. "I thought that--well--" he thought his words through carefully. "I was always told that dryads only had girls... I mean, Otaru's a boy! His mother, if she was really a dryad... she couldn't've... I mean..."

His expression turned to one of confusion, and he gave up. The dryad woman smiled, and let out a little, kind of tinkling laugh.

"Nothing is impossible, my dear Prince," she said with a tone of seriousness. She then regarded Otaru, who now knelt at the bottom of the immense, yet deteriorating tree that had once been his dryad mother's.

"Retrieve your companions," the dryad woman suddenly said to Kakeru and the others. "We have much to discuss."

"If my mother is a Dryad," Otaru started, as he sat down. He and the woman began to converse, while the other men went to get the girls. "Then what happened to her tree?"

The woman sighed. "My name is Lynnai. I'm the leader of the Dryads. Well, this clan, anyway."

"You didn't answer my question.." He said wearily.

"Otaru.." She took a deep breath. "You know that Dryads cannot have sons. That isn't EXACTLY true.."

"'Exactly'?" He raised an eybrow.

"You are the first male dryad, in over one hundred years." Lynnai smiled. "That's why they all know your name. When your mother had you, she took it as a sign. She was the only Dryad to ever leave this forest. She always came back, to make sure we were all doing well, but the visits became fewer and fewer. Five years ago, they stopped completely.. Then her tree started to wither. We don't know what became of your mother, but we fear the worst." She put her hand on his on a motherly sort of way, and smiled. "I'm so glad you're here."

"WHAT?!!?!" Keiko cried. "And all of this happened WITHOUT me?!!?"

"Come on.." Anji walked towards the forest.

"What happened to never go in at night??" Keiko asked.

"Weren't you listening? We were invited." Kakeru said.

"It might be a trap!!" Keiko exclaimed.

"A trap??" Naoki said worriedly.

"I'm bringing my bow.." Keiko picked up her bow and arrows.

When they arrived at the camp, Otaru had already been in deep discussion with the Dryad leader, and they were asked to wait outside.

"The nerve!!" Keiko said. She became utterly disgusted as she watched the other three boys(who were now madly blushing) being hugged, touched, latched onto, and pulled on by the girls.

"I, uh, hey, wait, I.. Umm.. Hey! Let go! I.. Uh, HELP!" Kakeru shouted to everyone. Naoki and Aika giggled as

Keiko grumlbed and pulled Kakeru out of the mess.

More women came towards him, and he tried to use Keiko as a shield. Rina and Staci tried hopelessly to get the other two away from the girls.

"Hey!" Someone shouted. "You! With the auburn hair!"

"Hmm?" Keiko looked over to a Dryad girl with greenish hair, holding a bow.

"I see you have a bow." She smiled. "How about a little tournament?"

"What??" Keiko raised an eyebrow.

"For your man.." The girl grinned wider.

"What? No way!!" Kakeru exclaimed.

"He's not my man!!" Keiko blushed.

"If you win, we'll leave your males alone.." She smirked. "..But if I win, I get the dark haired boy."

Keiko was about to decline, when, "We accept!!" Was heard, from Anji and Jiro.

"WHAT?!?!?!" Keiko yelled.

"Oh, come on Keiko!" Anji leaned in closer to whisper. "You and I both know you could shoot a fly from a hundred miles away!"

"I'm not THAT good! And This girl might be better than me!! I can't bargain Kakeru on this!!"

"Now that you're here, you can tell me, how your mother is doing." Lynnai said.

"I.." Otaru looked at his feet. "I don't know.."

"What??" She looked at him worriedly.

"I was taken away from my family.." Otaru shut his eyes to keep the tears from coming down. "I was stolen, when I was a child.."

"Oh, Otaru.." She looked at him sympathetically.

"I don't even remember.. Where my house is.. What they look like.. It's all a blur.." Otaru felt warm tears fall down his face. "I came to find them."

Keiko watched as they set up the targets. 'You can't lose, Keiko, you can't lose..'

"You think she can win??" Kakeru whispered to Anji worriedly.

"I don't know. She usually only practices when she's really upset. When she doesn't have time to think of the target. The pressure might throw her off." Anji said.

"Then 'twould be best to upset her higness, eh?" Jiro smiled at anji, who in turn looked to Kakeru.

"You seem to get her fired up the most, Kakeru." Anji smiled. Kakeru gulped. He didn't want to make Keiko more mad at him than she already was. Then again, his life, and his chastity, for that matter, was at stake. He took a deep breath, and walked over to Keiko, in a last attempt to make her angry.

"Keiko.." He blushed.

"Yes??"

Kakeru quickly leaned in and kissed her, right smack dab on the lips.

She pushed him away, furiously blushing, and slugged him. "JERK!!" She yelled. She hit him on the head with her bow.

"Oww!!" He yelled.

Anji's eyes lit up like fire. "WHAT THE HECK DID YOU DO THAT FOR?!!?!?"

"I drew a blank!!" Kakeru said.

'I know what would REALLY upset her..' Anji thought. 'But... Should I tell her???'

"Umm.. Keiko.." Anji got ready for whatever may happen.

"Yes??" She said, as she glared angrily at Kakeru.

"Umm.. Here's the thing.. Our Kingdom has been taken over by Obari. Our parents have been inslaved, and the reason I left was he's trying to kill me. Okay! Now that THAT's settled.." Anji smiled nervously.

"WHA?!!?!?!!?!?" Keiko screamed. Naoki fainted. Aika fumed. Staci tried to be rational, but was NOT succeeding.

"I need to SHOOT SOMETHING!!!" Keiko growled.

"That's my girl!!" Kakeru smiled and put his hand on her shoulder. Keiko shot him a look like, 'You REALLY don't want to mess with me when I have a WEAPON in my hands'. He nervously moved his hand, and backed away.

"I can't BELIEVE you didn't TELL ME about this!!!" She fumed, as she shot the target, and hit a perfect bullseye.

The Dryads marveled at her accuracy.

Immediately after hitting her bullseye (and taking little notice of the fact), Keiko stormed over to Anji and grabbed him roughly by the collar. His height compared to the princess' made it hard for him to be intimidated, though he cringed slightly at the look of utter fury on his sister's face.

"Well?" Keiko fumed, her cheeks turning a deep magenta color in her anger. Anji gulped.

"Well what?"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Oh..." Anji tried his best to play innocent. "Well... I..." He sighed and pushed his sister away. "I knew you'd react like this. I was just hoping to... postpone it?"

Keiko shot him an icy glare, while Anji heard Kakeru murmur beside him, "Nice one." He could have punched that snobby prince in the nose. Keiko, in turn, glared at Kakeru.

"Don't think you're off the hook," she said icily, and Kakeru turned visibly paler, then started to blush. He then stalked off toward where Otaru and the clan leader, Lynnai, were speaking in low voices. Anji looked toward Jiro for some assistance, but the knight had already begun following the prince of Allaras, hungrily eyeing a bowl filled to the brim with ripe-looking berries.

Quickly, the crowd of festive dryads had also departed, disappointed in their loss of their prizes at Keiko's amazing skills. Soon, only brother and sister were left.

"I-I can explain!" Anji stuttered nervously, catching the steely glint in his sister's eyes. Wearily, the princess put her hands on her hips and sighed.

"What is there TO explain?" she muttered, all the worry from the day showing on her face. "Our kingdom's been taken over. Mother and father are prisoners. We're out here wandering around while we SHOULD be trying to save our kingdom. That pretty much sums up our situation, doesn't it?"

Anji stared at his sister. Noticing the look in her eyes, he folded his arms in irritation.

"Okay," he demanded, "What're you planning to do, Keiko?"

"OH, nothing!" Keiko feined innocence. "Just, um..." she kicked the turf under her foot. "Kill Obari...?"

"NO WAY!" Anji said, stamping his foot resolutely and taking his sister by the arm. "We'll talk about this later, Keiko!" he snapped and dragged her, unwillingly, toward the others.

Their dinner that night consisted of mushrooms, berries, and a strangely sweet leaf Keiko had never heard of before. To her, the meal was satisfying, but Jiro complained openly of the lack of meat or ale. This complaining, however, didn't seemt to offend the dryads in the slightest, as they happily passed him another plate of raw mushrooms, which he devoured rather greedily.

After dinner, they were promptly escorted to a secluded area near a large stream, where the night moon shone through the thick trees and glimmered off the surface of the gently churning water. Keiko squealed with a sudden, unimaginable joy as they set up their camp.

"I can bathe!" she cried, restraining herself from simply throwing her clothes off and jumping in then and there. Being a refined princess, however, she knew better than that. She hastily searched through her pack, selecting a nice, gray travelling dress (as she had been wearing the clothes of a merchant for the past week or so), and followed the stream.

She quickly located a pool near the end of the stream that was mostly concealed by trees. Keiko, finding it to be adequate, rapidly undressed and jumped, without hesitation, into the dark, clear pool.

No one had taken any real notice to Keiko's absence as they crawled into their bedrolls that night, each intent on a few hour's sleep after their troublesome day. Kakeru and Otaru, however, were dreadfully aware of their messy (and somewhat odorsome) state. Together, they walked upstream, resolute on cleaning themselves, even in the icy cold stream.

Otaru hadn't talked to anyone about his conversation with the Dryad clan leader. Kakeru didn't mind, however; he was content in the simple silence that had fallen between them. Kakeru had always kind of liked Otaru, though he daren't admit it himself.

The serf-boy (whom they had only recently discovered was half-dryad) stopped abruptly.

"Go on ahead," he told Kakeru quietly, turning back. "I forgot something." With that, he turned and ran back to their camp. Kakeru watched as he disappeared back under the cover of the trees, shrugged, then turned to continue upstream.

He found a small pool eventually, and smiled in satisfaction. The trees concealed it perfectly, letting in just enough moonlight to see by. He set down his clothing and bath materials on a nearby rock and prepared to undress, when the sound of splashing water met his ears. Startled, he turned toward the pool to investigate.

His face turned a deep crimson as Keiko let out an embarrassed scream.

"GET OUT!!" She screamed. She realized he wasn't wearing anything, and put her hands over her eyes, and screamed again.

Kakeru's eyes were wide. He closed them shut and jumped out of the pool, grabbing his clothes as he went.

When he was dressed, he went back to the camp, a shocked and embarrassed look still on his face.

"What was that scream I heard?" Staci asked him, as he walked by. It took a moment to process.

"Wha.. Huh??? ME?! I didn't see ANYTHING!!!" He blushed more.

"I didn't ask you if you..." Staci gasped. Kakeru walked away, still blushing.

"Hey, Kakeru, have you seen Keiko anywh-" Anji started to say.

"See Keiko?! Why would I see Keiko?!?!?" Kakeru blushed.

"I mean, because-"

"HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO SAY I DIDN'T SEE KEIKO?!? I DIDN'T SEE HER AT ALL!! I CLOSED MY EYES!! I PROMISE!!" Kakeru shouted.

Anji blinked. "Where's Keiko?!" He grabbed Kakeru's shirt. Kakeru pointed in the direction he came from.

Aika and Naoki giggled. Otaru blushed.

"I'm so glad I didn't go with you.." He said.

"I'm dead..." Kakeru sat down beside Otaru. "Anji's going to kill me."

"If he doesn't, Keiko will.." Staci said.

Kakeru explained what happened.

"Don't worry. We'll explain the situation, and.." Naoki started to say, but she was cut off.

"KAKERU!!!!!!!" Anji's voice echoed throughout the wide expanse.

"Isn't it about time we go to sleep??" Naoki said quickly.

"I think so!" Aika quickly walked away.

"I can't blame them for not wanting to be here when the bloodshed starts.." Staci said, as she followed them.

"Night!" She smiled.

"And good luck!" Rina sweatdropped, as she followed Staci.

"Hey, where's Jiro?" Kakeru asked. 'I could really use protection right now..'

"He went for a walk. I guess, I better go to bed now!" Otaru laughed nervously.

"You're staying right here!!" Kakeru said, as he grabbed Otaru's arm. Otaru sighed, and together they waited for
Anji to come. And waited. And waited. Any second now, Anji and Keiko were going to come. Yep, any time now,
Kakeru was sure of it. After a while, Otaru started to get worried.

"Maybe we should go look for them. I mean, something might have happened." Otaru said.

"Or maybe he's just having me let my guard down, THEN he'll come and kill me." Kakeru sighed.

A few minutes later..

"I really think something's wrong." Otaru said worriedly.

"You might be right.." Kakeru picked up his sword, and Otaru did the same.

When they got to where Keiko previously was, they found no trace of Keiko or Anji. Suddenly, someone pulled them behind some bushes. It was Keiko!! She was crying.

"They've got Anji!!" She said quietly.

"Who?!" Kakeru asked.

Keiko started crying again, tears pouring out of her eyes.

"Who took Anji?!" repeated Kakeru, a little relieved, actually.

"The soldiers. (sob)"

"Which soldiers?" Otaru asked, putting a hand on Keiko's shoulder and sending Kakeru a look that said, "She doesn't need to be yelled at right now."

"My k-kingdoms (siff) soldiers (sob...)... And its all OBARI'S fault! Now I have no one left!" she was now bawling, tears streaming down her face, sobs escaping her throat, and a peircing head ace flowing threw her.

Otaru put his arms around Keiko gently, trying to be comforting but ending up making her cry even more.

Kakeru went to go check out the the scene of the crime (authors note: that sounded weird. Besides, Keiko's suppose to be the detective... oh well, she's 'busy' at the moment).

He looked behind the bush were Anji had apparently been dragged threw. He saw that the soldeirs hadn't been very secretive about their were abouts and hadn't covered their foot prints from their big clunky armers (sp?).

"Let go of me!" Anji yelled as the soldeirs carried him off. He was still angry about the recent incident with Kakeru and his sister and was liable to do anything at the moment.

The soldiers completely ignored him and continued dragging him threw the dirt.

"How dare you defy me!" Anji yelled, fuming with fury. "Don't you know who I am? (he didn't wait for an answer) I am PRINCE Anji! I lead you through three wars!"

They still gave his anger no heed.

"Why do you ignore me?!" he was now red in the face and angrily kicking at the ground like a little two year old.

One of the soldeirs who were getting tired of his whining, took a hakerchief out of his pocket and gagged Anji with it.

"...mhmhmhmhmhmhmhmhmhmhmh....." he struggled to talk, yanking at his arms and trying to wiggle free their grip.

"Come on." said Kakeru, walking past Otaru and Keiko, grabbing Keiko and yanking her out of Otaru's group.

He dragged Keiko off to camp, Otaru following close behind.

When they got to were all the others were sleeping soundly, they stopped.

"Everyone.... WAKE UP!" shouted Kakeru.

"huh?" asked Rina shooting up into a sitting position.

"Were's the fire?"

"There is no fire." said otaru, sweat dropping.

"Then what is it?"

"They took Anji!" cried Keiko, letting Naoki comfort her, and she also started crying.

"Give me a break..." muttered Kakeru under his breath.

"Wait a minute." said Rina. "Were's Jiro?"

Anji tried stuggling again, with no success.

"Fear not Prince Anji! I will save you!" cried a desperatly stupid voice.

"Huh?" Anji looked up and saw a familiar soldier swinging off of a branch on a vine and hitting a near by tree ("I'm okay.")

"Jiro?!" Anji exclaimed, surprised, but it only came out as "mhmhmhmhmhmh".

The knight did not reply, as he had gone unconscious in his little adventure. The guards that held Anji captive quickly proceeded to tie and gag the clunky knight. Anji sighed.

"Excuse me?"

Anji spun his head in the direction of the shadowy trees, where a figure stood leaning against a stump. They wore a dark brown cloak, with a hood that conveniently covered their face (and their identity, for the moment).

The soldiers who had just finished tying Jiro turned to the shadowy figure in the trees. The figure reached deep under their cloak, and signalled with the other hand toward the soldiers. Curiously, though still a bit wary, the soldiers approached the figure, who now held a silver flask in one hand.

"I think one of you dropped this," the person said, this time in the clear, cold voice of a woman. Almost all in one motion, the woman uncorked the shiny flask and spilled out its contents all over the soldiers, who stepped back quickly as if suddenly stricken. Then one of them sneezed and, to Anji's surprise, fell to the ground. Another sneezed and fell, as did another, then another, until--finally--all of them had fallen, apparently deep in slumber.

Anji stared at the hooded woman in stunned disbelief. It had been some kind of poisen in that flask! Only assassins carried poisens, he noted with a kind of unidentifiable fear. Was she here to kill him?! He struggled with his bindings, the skin on his wrists being torn by the rope.

The woman approached him, flask still in hand, and his struggling became more urgent. She was going to kill him!

However, she didn't. She removed the gag from his mouth, untied him, then proceeded to untie the unconscious Sir Jiro. Anji stood, brushed himself off, and watched the woman inquisitively.

He finally gave in to his dire curiosity. "Who ARE you?" he asked cautiously. The woman turned to him in surprise, as if only just noticing that he was still there. Her face was finally visible under her hood, Anji observed. She had muck-green eyes (for muck was the only color Anji felt could compare to her eyes), and sandy-colored hair, which looked peculiarly (or simply unnaturally) combed and straight.

"How awfully rude of me!" the girl said in an irritating feminine voice. She stuck out her hand for Anji to shake with (or to kiss, for, to Anji, she looked like the kind that would demand that kind of thing). "My name is Mai!"

Rather reluctantly, the prince took the girl's hand, cordially squeezed it, then pulled away as if he had been struck by a snake. She blinked at him, then let out a very throaty laugh. Anji cringed.

The sound of approaching horses met his ears, abruptly. His eyes widened, and he looked toward the sound.

"More of Obari's men?" he asked, mostly to himself. However, the girl, Mai, shook her head with a grin.

"Nope," she said, "Obari's men weren't riding horses..."

Anji looked skeptical. "How do you know?"

Mai winked at him slyly. "It's an assassin's JOB to know." She then pulled her hood back on and headed to meet the approaching horses.

"A-assassin...?" Anji gulped. He then ran to meet with the approaching horses and their riders.

"ANJI!" Keiko shouted happily as she flung herself from her horse and into her brother's outspread arms. Quite unexpectedly, she then hit him on the shoulder and began to scold him.

"Loving family, aren't they?" Mai the assassin asked of Rina, who stood watching the siblings with the others in their small group. She nodded at the assassin's blunt comment, then stopped herself. Her face paled as she slowly turned her head to face the girl.

"M-MAI!" the tiny girl shrieked, drawing the eyes of the group toward her. Kakeru instinctively backed away upon recognizing the face of Mai, the girl who had once dragged him into a room in the brothel and suggested unspeakable things to him.

Mai winked at him, and he fell back on his horse for support.

"What're YOU doing here?!" Rina demanded with a sudden, uncharacteristic heat. Mai looked over her shoulder, and smirked.

"Well, I'd tell you, Rina," she said, "But it appears that Obari's soldiers have taken your knight..."

Rina stared at her incredulously for a moment, then paled, her eyes going wide. The unconscious form of Jiro was nowhere in sight.

"How could they have taken him away? I thought you poisoned them!" Anji looked over, to see the guards missing aswell.

"Well, you see, it's very weak poison.." Mai smiled.

"Come on! Let's go and get him!" Rina said worriedly.

"I agree. We MUST go save him." The assassin nodded, as she started following the soldiers' footprints.

"'WE'??" Staci raised an eyebrow. After hearing Rina's description of the girl, she already disliked her.

"Naturally!" Mai smirked.

"I have to admit, she DID save us." Anji said.

'Anji..' Rina sighed. 'He doesn't know what a pain she really is..'