Shadow's hunt- Part two
#2 of Shadow's hunt
Onto part two. Again I hope you enjoy it and leave a comment.
Continued from part one
The red furred vixen sat staring into the fire two hours later. After leading the recently freed slaves out of the city, the tall tiger had paused before they reached the woods and whistled. A pair of warriors, one human, the other a fox, both of them dressed in the same uniform as thier savior, stepped out and bowed low to the warrior before he spoke.
"Is everything prepared?" The Tiger had asked and the pair had nodded. The warriors had led the freed slaves through the woods to a large campsite where the slaves had been clothed in light, simple clothing and healed by several hundred of the strangely dressed warriors. Now the others were resting inside the bounds of the camp, awaiting the dawn. On the tiger's orders, members of his warriors would be escorting the slaves back to their homes when morning dawned. The vixen wasn't thinking about that however, instead, she was wondering how the warrior had known her secret name. Every creature had a secret name known only to them that they only told to those whom they trusted with everything that they were. In her entire life, she had only told one person her secret name, however, she knew that the person she had told would never have told anyone else, not even if he was tortured or threatened with death.
Remembering him brought tears to her eyes though because he had been the only one to understand her back home. They had been the best of friends growing up, and when they had reached adolescence, it had not surprised anyone that they had fallen for each other quickly. She had loved him with all her heart, the fact that he had been a human and she a vixen had not mattered in the slightest to either of them. She could still remember the last day she had seen him...
* * *
She looked into the bright emerald eyes of the one she loved and smiled. They had been lying in each other's arms in the wood lands around the village for an hour. She breathed in his warm, comforting scent and snuggled closer to him, a content smile on her face. She loved him and she knew that he loved her. Her eyes closed and she could clearly hear her love's heart beating in his bare chest. Then she heard a light chuckle rumble through him. She opened her blue eyes and looked at him.
"Some people search all there lives for what I have right here and few ever find it." Cyr said, his love locked in his emerald gaze. "A wonderful companion, the splendor and peace of nature all around us... Who could want more?"
"Cyr, I love you so much." She said and he held her tightly. She paused, a slight fear coming into her heart and she began slowly. "Cyr... I want to tell you my secret name."
"I want to tell you that as well." He said in reply and pulled her closer so that her ears were close to him. "My name is Nightwalker."
"My name is Moonrider." She replied and then they had kissed.
"Moonrider, my love, I swear to you now, with everything I am, on everything that I believe, that as long as I live, I will always come back to you." He said, "I swear that I will be there for you, no matter the cost to me. Not even death shall stop me."
She looked at him in surprise and asked "Why are you saying this?"
He didn't get a chance to reply, for just then, they heard the warning bells of the village and leapt to their feet. They grabbed their clothing from where it rested beside them and started to don them. However, warriors stepped into the clearing and Cyr told her to run for the village. She didn't want to, but he leapt at their attackers and she ran as he had told her. She had returned to the village and found that it was intact. The warriors of the village defended themselves ably and the attack had not lasted long. She led the warriors back to the spot where she and Cyr had been laying, but all they found were two dead warriors and a lot of blood...
* * *
Tears ran freely down her muzzle as the memory of the time after assaulted her. For two years, the void in her heart had been so large that she had cried herself to sleep every night and had been inconsolable during the day. The sorrow and sadness made all others pity her. She remembered her parents had said that it wrenched their hearts to see her walking around as if her heart had been ripped out. The only thing that had allowed her to go on living was the faint voice in the back of her mind that kept whispering that there wasn't a body, so he wasn't dead. After two years, she managed to get her life back in order and, through much grief and grieving, she finally managed to put him in her past. Her heart still ached when she thought about him, but that wasn't often. Until now.
She suddenly realized, through her blurred eyes, that she was staring at a pair of legs covered by the dark blue pants of a warrior of the camp. She looked up and found the man who had rescued her staring at her with his piercing emerald green eyes. She felt her eyes drawn to his and she found that his eyes were so like Cyr's... She jolted herself out of that line of thought as a wave of grief threatened to break on her.
"Why do you grieve?" He asked, handing her a small handkerchief. She took it and wiped away her tears while she composed herself.
"Because the one I love is dead." She said, watching as the warrior settled across from her.
"You mean Cyr Naikiir don't you?" He asked and she gasped, looking at him in surprise.
"You knew him?" She asked, surprised.
"In a manner of speaking." The strange warrior responded cryptically and spoke once more. "My name is Shadowwalker, though you may call me Shadow if you wish."
"Alright Shadow," She began, looking intently at him, "You already know who I am. Please tell me, how did you know Cyr? And how did you come by that name?"
"I know Cyr because he and I trained at the Moon Tiger academy together." He began, carefully drawing the long, curved blade at his side. "We were in the same class and we became very good friends. We faced the blood trials side by side and won through. Once we graduated, he and I traveled together for so long a time that we trusted each other implicitly. In fact, we trusted each other enough to share our secret names with each other. However, in a terrible battle against incredible odds, he was horribly wounded, beyond the skill of any healer to heal. Before he died, he confided in me the oath he made to you, and the secret name that you gave him. My brother made me swear on the bond we shared to fulfill it. His last words were a confession of his undying love for you."
She nodded slowly, tears filling her eyes once again. "So he is dead then."
"I prefer to think of him as living on in our hearts." He said, "Not to mention this sword."
"The sword?" She asked, thankful for the distraction he offered her.
"Yes. This is the Rune sword Seigi, or Justice in the common tongue." He said, holding the blade so it reflected the firelight. "Cyr found it before he died. Every person who uses this sword leaves a part of him or herself locked in the blade. Their voices constantly speak to the warrior who holds this sword, telling him the will of justice. His voice is whispering to me even now." He sheathed the blade suddenly and drew the second, smaller sword. "I found this blade after Cyr gave me Seigi, and it too contains the spirits of each warrior who has held it in battle before me. Its name is Yuuki, or Courage in common. Everyday, I have sought those that slew my brother, and I have finally caught up with them. It was only after I rallied my battle brothers that I found them, and you. Cyr's vision that he transferred to me allowed me to recognize you. Now that you are freed, and my promise is being fulfilled, I can continue my hunt for the slavers that slew him."
"I want to come with you." She said, looking into the fire as it crackled slightly. "I too wish for justice on those that took my love away from me and slaughtered our parents."
"No." Shadow said, shaking his head, "The way I travel, and the way that I fight, No one, not even my battle brothers could keep up with me. The only one who could was Cyr. Besides, you are going back to your village."
"There is no village anymore." She said with a hollow voice. "The whole village was destroyed by the slavers five weeks ago. Many people were killed. Everyone who was too old to be useful to them were killed in cold blood and everyone else who survived were carried off, even the children. Please, let me come with you. Ever since Cyr disappeared, I have been training in the warrior arts. I will fight beside you. Please, I have nowhere to go." She pleaded with the warrior and he looked at her as if sizing her up.
"Alright, you can come." he said and got to his feet, but he held up a hand as her eyes lit up, "If you can prove that you can fight." With that, he held a hand out towards one of the other warriors and he handed him one of the long curved swords, which Shadow offered to Jen. Taking it in hand, she tucked it into her belt and stood in a ready stance. Shadow stood opposite her in an easy stance, seemingly unprepared. After a moment of stillness, steel flashed in the sun and rang as the swords met between the two of them.
Sparks flew from the blades as they clashed. Jen used all her strength with each blow, seeking advantage over Shadow. She used every technique that she knew, even inventing a few on the spot, but every blow was stopped short by the tall warrior. Her arms began to go numb from the shocks, but she didn't give up, instead continuing the fight. Long after she was able to feel her arms, she finally stopped fighting, unable to lift the sword any longer.
"Alright." Shadow said, looking as if he hadn't done more than take a short walk. "You may come along."
"Thank you." She answered, ignoring the tremble in her limbs. She returned the blade to its scabbard and offered it to the warrior who had handed it to her. Without anymore ado, she slumped by the fire, totally exhausted. She began to doze, and when she was on the verge of sleep, she noticed Shadow removing a necklace he wore, gazing at the black charm in his hand. As the grey fog of sleep covered her eyesight, she realized that it looked familiar...
* * *
Shadow watched her sleep for a while, contemplating how beautiful she was. More so than he remembered. He shook his head. She hadn't recognized him, he was sure, not that he blamed her of course. He hardly recognized himself in his reflection since that time not long ago... Shadow shook his head, not wanting to think about it. he placed the necklace back around his neck and looked up as his captains walked over to him.
"What are your orders sir?" Asked one of them and Shadow considered before
speaking.
"Tolan, assign one of your warriors to each of the returning slaves." He said, looking at the human captain of the group. "Escort them home or where ever they wish to go. Once that is done return to the academy." He nodded and moved off to carry out his order. "The rest of you are with me, we are going after the slavers." The captains grinned in anticipation. One of the tenants of their training was to never suffer a slave to be held in slavery, and punish all those that seek to make others slaves. As his captains moved off to ready their soldiers, Shadow smiled to himself.
'This will be fun.' The feminine voice in his head said and Shadow jumped
'I am still not used to that.' He stated with his mind
'I know.' It replied. 'It is hard for me to accept too, believe me. I have to deal with all your funny male urges and your dirty thoughts.
'I do not have dirty thoughts!!' Shadow stated, indignant at her insinuations.
'No you don't. I was just teasing you.' The voice said and he sensed a note of amusement in her voice. Shadow sighed in his head and laid his swords down beside him.
'I'm going to sleep.' He stated, rolling his eyes.
'Good night then.' The voice stated and Shadow laid down by the fire, resting his head on one arm. His last thought before drifting off was that he had done it, he had saved her...
* * *
Jen was awakened by a hand gently shaking her. She opened her eyes and shook her head, looking around. By the look of things, it wasn't yet dawn. She yawned widely and looked up at the person waking her. He was a young wolf with light yellow eyes and grey fur. Seeing that she was awake, he spoke.
"Forgive me for waking you, but Shadowwalker told me to see that you were clothed and equipped properly before we headed out." He said and she realized he couldn't have been more than fifteen. She nodded and rose. Shadow was nowhere to be found around the camp and most of the warriors were still sleeping. As the wolf led her through the camp towards a supply wagon, she spoke.
"What is your name?" She said and the wolf replied, speaking over his shoulder.
"Talain." He said and half bowed gracefully in mid stride. He wore one of the long swords that every warrior in camp bore, but he was missing the smaller sword that most carried. Seemingly in its place, were a pair of sais. It occurred to her that the smaller sword might be a status symbol among these warriors and his lack of one meant he was still proving himself. As if he could sense what she was looking at, he spoke again. "I have not passed the blood trials of a warrior yet, hence I have no wakizashi."
"How did you know that is what I was thinking about?" She asked, thinking it miraculous that he had figured that out.
"Just a guess." He said, smiling a little. When they reached the wagon, Talain measured her with a cord and handed her a pair of the warrior uniforms. Then, while she changed behind the wagon, he rummaged through the stores of spare weapons for something she could use. When she came around the corner of the wagon, dressed in the uniform, he nodded and spoke. "Good, those fit just fine. Now, unfortunately, we have no extra swords or the time to make them. But, we do have a selection of weapons for you to pick from."
She selected a pair of sickle like kamas and a long bow with a quiver from the weapons he had laid out, and when she had the weapons settled into place on her uniform, he nodded and led the way over to the campfire she had slept beside. Talain gave her a bowl with rice and ginger in it and she ate heartily while listening to the young warrior speak. He told her some of the history of the hundreds of sleeping warriors who lay all around them. They were from the famous Moon Tiger battle academy. The academy was a place far to the east that trained anyone who could make it through its tough training in the warrior ways. Moontiger graduates were incredibly tough to defeat in battle, and even more than that, they also adhered to a strict honor code. These warriors had all either graduated with, or had been trained by Shadow himself, hence they called themselves battle brothers. She also learned something more about the warrior who had saved her. Shadow was a hero among the Moontiger warriors. He had fought with the strength and skill of twenty warriors since he had graduated and it was rumored that he had gotten even more powerful in the years since. As Talain was about to continue, Shadow walked into the firelight and sat down, effectively ending the conversation. He cracked a slight half smile at seeing her in the warrior uniform.
"You wear that well." He said, taking a bowl from Talain with a thank you. She nodded her thanks and he started eating. While Shadow ate, the trio were joined by four warriors who wore small jeweled broaches on their uniforms, just over their hearts. She took that to mean that they were officers of some sort, an analysis that was supported a moment later by Shadow. "Captain Jolis, are Tolan and his company ready?"
"Yes my lord." The tall wolfen who had sat down first stated. "What next?"
"The slavers have moved on out of town and into the old merchant fortress at Shonan." Shadow explained around a mouthful of rice. "As you know, that is neutral ground. We can't attack them while they are there. By consequence, they must not know we are coming after them or they might not leave. However, I know a way to get them to come to us."
"Your orders?" Jolis asked, digging into a bowl himself.
"We will split up in the wilderness and keep away from the roads." Shadow stated. "I will take my personal guard up the road towards Shonan. We will travel under the guise of buyers. Jolis, your company will travel south towards Dagger peak. Todran and Elios, your companies will go east and west respectively and then rendezvous with Jolis in the shadow of the peak. Kerig, you will take your company north along the roads and meet up with Hul at the Way Station Inn. Notify him that we plan to strike the slavers and see if he is willing to aid us. I think he will be, and if that is the case, travel together towards Shonan. I will meet up with you at the Glade."
"Yes sir." The captains replied and then concentrated on eating, swiftly devouring their breakfasts. When the captains had finished eating, they split up to gather their men from the camp that was now awake and moving. All except Jolis.
"May I have a word in private?" He asked and Shadow nodded. The pair stepped away from the fire light and Jen listened carefully, her sharp ears picking out the words of their conversation. "My lord, I was deeply honored that you took Talain as your apprentice, just as you once took me as such. I am curious as to how he has served you."
"He serves me well." The warrior lord replied. "It is I that is honored to take your brother on. Why do you ask?"
"I ask because I know he will prove himself worthy when the time comes." The captain said. "And I ask because he is the only family I have. If I had a choice I would have had him choose a different life than I did. But, he has chosen to follow me..."
"Don't worry." Shadow said, clapping the wolf's shoulder. "If he is anything like you, he will bring much glory and live to a ripe old age with many cubs to his name."
The wolf laughed and moved off to gather his men.
Again, write a comment, I want to know what you think about this story.