|
|
Part 6: Dreams and Omens
Tasuki glanced around, I'm in a cave? How did I get here? He tried to remember what he'd been doing, but only a vague memory of wandering around in the snow came to him. He heard a noise and turned curiously. Behind him, standing in the entrance of the cave, was a person. He had white hair. Tasuki remembered him now. "Rumiya?"
Rumiya nodded silently. He looked at Tasuki, "Hai, Genrou. It is I. Tell me, why have you come here?" He looked at Tasuki searchingly, with a serious expression on his face, "Are you here to destroy all that we exist to protect?"
"What?" Tasuki gave Rumiya a puzzled look, "What do you mean by that? I got lost in a storm…I didn't come here on purpose."
The other young man lowered his gaze for a moment, "I want to believe you Genrou, something inside says I should…but…" He shook his head, "After all this time, I can't believe in coincidence. You must be here for a reason." He advanced slowly, his golden eyes glimmering in the faint light, "Tell me your purpose here."
Tasuki backed up a step, "I have no purpose here! I came here by accident! Why can't you believe that? You think I like wandering around in the %^*(ing snow? You're $^(&ing crazy!!"
The words seemed to break Rumiya out of his reverie. "You really mean that, don't you Genrou? I like that about you, your blunt honesty. I believe it when you say you mean me no harm." Tasuki was relieved, but he kept one hand near his tessen, just in case. Rumiya smiled faintly, "No trust, Genrou? I don't mind. But it is not me you should fear. Not if you speak the truth." He turned to glance out at the storm raging outside the cave's entrance.
Within the whirling snow a figure could be seen. It slowly entered the cave. Tasuki recognized it as the wolf he had seen before. Its pale coat glimmered with some inner light, as it paced towards the Suzaku seishi. Rumiya looked at it nonchalantly, "I find no dishonesty in this person."
The wolf merely growled, its golden eyes blazed. How can you know what a person truly means, when you do not know who a person truly is? Tasuki didn't know what to say…A wolf…speaking? The animal didn't acknowledge Tasuki's puzzled look but continued speaking If he won't even tell you his true name…how can you believe anything he tells you?
"Nani?" Rumiya looked at Tasuki, "Is this true Genrou?"
Tasuki lowered his eyes before Rumiya's questioning gaze.
See! He lies! He is here to destroy us! The wolf snarled and bared its teeth. HE MUST BE ELIMINATED! The wolf advanced threateningly on Tasuki. The Suzaku seishi pulled out his tessen and prepared to meet the animal's attack.
Rumiya stepped in, "Wait a moment!" The wolf hesitated and Tasuki lowered his tessen slightly. "I will not allow any fighting here! I'm a peaceful person," He gestured to both of them, "I cannot support an unwarranted attack on a guest."
The wolf lowered its head thoughtfully, then raised it to gaze at Rumiya. I can do nothing without your permission… It glanced at Tasuki. But if you should find that the stranger is lying…
Rumiya paused, then nodded, "Then it shall be taken care of."
The wolf growled softly once more before turning and retreating from the cave.
Tasuki watched it warily as it left. Then he turned his attention to Rumiya, who was giving him a strange, sad sort of gaze. Rumiya sighed with resignation.
"I hope you're telling the truth, Genrou. For your sake… and for mine. I had forgotten how lonely I was, until you came."
Tasuki felt like saying something…but he wasn't sure what to say. Should he tell Rumiya who he truly was?
I want to tell him…
* * * * *
Tasuki woke up abruptly. He glanced around, bewildered. What's going on? He caught a glimpse of Arai sleeping near the fire and relaxed. It was just a dream…
He sat up quietly, hoping he wouldn't wake the sleeping bear. Glancing around he noticed something else. After scrutinizing it for a minute he realized it was Rumiya. Of course, once he discovered this he was dumbfounded. I've never seen him asleep before. I guess he does have to sleep after all…
The Suzaku seishi sighed and ran a hand through his hair. What a ^%*# weird dream! And I hadn't even had any sake before bed… He glanced over at his sleeping companions again. Arai was curled up like some kind of large cat. It still amazed Tasuki that a creature that big could be so graceful at times. Rumiya was sprawled on a large white fur near the door. Tasuki shivered just thinking about how cold it was outside.
How can he sleep by the door with only one fur? Tasuki shook his head. His earrings clinked faintly.
Instantly Rumiya opened his eyes and looked alertly in Tasuki's direction. "Up so early, Genrou?" Rumiya sounded amused, "Or can't you sleep?"
"Too cold," Tasuki grumbled, needing some sort of excuse.
Rumiya yawned, "You're that cold, eh?" When Tasuki nodded Rumiya shrugged and got up. He picked up the white fur he'd been sleeping on and walked over to Tasuki. He dropped the fur at Tasuki's feet, "Here. Try this. It's warm."
Tasuki wrapped the fur around himself gratefully. He hadn't been that cold before, but now, wrapped in the warm fur, he realized that had just been because he'd been cold so long. Tasuki was very tempted to just close his eyes and go back to sleep, but then he remembered the dream and was reluctant. He looked around to see what Rumiya was doing.
The white-haired young man was curled up by the fire, much like the bear. Unlike the bear, however, he didn't have a thick coat of fur to keep him warm. He looked like he was trying to go back to sleep. Tasuki looked down at the warm fur he was wrapped in and felt a bit guilty.
He stood up and walked toward Rumiya. "Are you sure you don't need this?" He asked, gesturing toward the fur.
"Iie, Genrou. It's okay. I'm used to the cold." Rumiya didn't even bother to lift his head when answering Tasuki's question. Tasuki went back to the place he'd been sleeping in and curled up in the fur again. He dozed off.
He woke up a short while later, and wasn't certain why. If he'd been dreaming again he couldn't remember it. A quick look around at the room didn't help much. He was ready to go back to sleep (again!) when he noticed that Rumiya was shivering.
Strange. He wasn't shivering when he was sleeping by the door, but now he's sleeping by the fire and he's cold?
Tasuki tried to ignore it, but he felt a little guilty nevertheless. He closed his eyes and tried to go back to sleep but couldn't. "%$^&!" He growled, getting to his feet. He stalked over to Rumiya and dropped the white fur on top of him.
Immediately Rumiya's eyes snapped open, "Genrou?" He looked up, curiously, "You don't want the fur? But I thought you were cold." Tasuki didn't say anything. A look of understanding gradually settled on Rumiya's face. "Oh…" He glanced down at the fur, which was now in a heap on the floor. "It's OK, Genrou. I wasn't cold. I was just…dreaming about something." His voice was wistful.
Tasuki was intrigued, but he was still tired. Too tired to have any kind of conversation. He shrugged.
Rumiya held up the fur and scrutinized it. "I guess the fur does help keep the dreams away. I don't have any when I'm wearing it. But that doesn't mean I want a guest to freeze, does it? That would be impolite." He looked up at Tasuki, "I've got an idea. I wouldn't want you to freeze, and I don't want you to be up all night with a guilt trip." He gestured to the fur. "This is really large. As long as you don't poke me in the back with your fan, I don't object to sharing the fur."
Tasuki considered this, hesitating. Oh what the heck, it's not like he's Nuriko. And the fur is warm…
"OK."
* * * * * *
When Tasuki woke up it took him a while to get himself reoriented. He was underneath a white fur, and his back was really warm. He turned his head to look over his shoulder.
He almost jumped when he saw Rumiya. What the %$?? Then he remembered. Oh, yeah…
Tasuki almost jumped out of his skin when a cold arm crept around his shoulders and pulled him close. He looked at Rumiya warily. The young man appeared to still be asleep. Despite this, Tasuki was still ready to hit the him across the head with his tessen.
He was about to raise his tessen when Rumiya murmured, "It's going to snow again today, brother. I can sense it."
Brother? What in the $%&* is he talking about?
The Suzaku seishi shook his head in bewilderment, he wasn't sure what to do. Should he hit Rumiya with his tessen? Wriggle his way out of this uncomfortable situation? Or should he just grit his teeth and bear the embarrassment of being hugged by some guy who was just plain strange?
Luckily for him, he didn't have to decide, Tasuki's movement had jarred Rumiya awake. The white-haired young man gazed around in bewilderment. Then he turned his head and noticed where he was. With a startled yelp he released Tasuki and scrambled backward on the wooden floor of the cabin. He sat there gasping for a moment, then composed himself and looked at Tasuki apologetically.
"Gomen nasai, Genrou. I…um…I didn't mean to…uh…" his voice trailed off and he dropped his gaze. It occurred to Tasuki that he'd never seen anyone turn that red, not even Miaka. Finally Rumiya looked up again, "Gomen, Genrou. I must've been dreaming about something." His voice was quiet, and rather subdued.
Tasuki thought about this for a second. When Rumiya had hugged him, he'd thought it had probably been because the young man was dreaming. This simply confirmed his suspicions. He shrugged. "That's OK," he said, waving one hand nonchalantly, "I understand." He wanted to ask a question about Rumiya's mysterious words, but it occurred to him that the other man would probably not remember anything about that anyway.
Instead he asked, "Now that everyone's awake…what's for breakfast?"
Rumiya looked up in surprise. Then he smiled, grateful for the change of subject. "I don't really know, Genrou. Do you have any suggestions?"
After considering it carefully for a moment, Tasuki said, "Anything's fine with me. I'm starving!" He grinned, showing off his fangs.
A wry grin settled on Rumiya's face, "I hope you like smoked mutton. It's all I have." He gave Tasuki a mischievous look. Tasuki refused to be baited.
"That'll do."
* * * * * *
Sure enough, breakfast was a delicious meal of dried, chewy sheep flesh.
Ugh, Tasuki thought, I don't mind eating sheep meat, but this stuff is as tough as leather. He stared down at the long strip of meat and thought back to the last meal he'd eaten in Konan with all the other Suzaku seishi. He frowned, realization coming over him, I miss them.
Strange as it might seem, it was true. Tasuki gazed down, feeling a bit wistful. Miaka…Chichiri… Hotohori… Nuriko. Each name conjured up an image in his mind:
Miaka, sitting at the table and clearing her plate before the seishi had even taken their first bites.
Chichiri, sitting fishing in the pond in Konan, but never catching anything.
Hotohori, sitting on his throne dressed in his regal court robes.
Nuriko, one moment fawning on Hotohori, the next turning to bash someone's head through a wall.
Tasuki sighed, he missed Chiriko's smart, little lectures on this and that, even if he hadn't really understood court politics. He even missed Mitsukake's strong but silent presence.
I don't miss Tamahome, though. Really…well…maybe just a little…
He hadn't realized it, but he'd been standing there staring at his breakfast for nearly ten minutes. Rumiya was giving him a funny look. "What are you thinking about, Genrou?"
The words snapped Tasuki out of his reverie, he looked at Rumiya in surprise, "What?"
"I just asked what you were thinking about," Rumiya repeated.
"Not much," Tasuki said softly, "just thinking about some friends of mine." His voice trailed off.
Rumiya looked down at the table, "You miss your friends."
"Hai." Tasuki's voice was barely above a whisper. He looked up when Rumiya murmured something, "What?"
"I said, 'I miss mine, too.'"
Tasuki's eyebrows raised in surprise, that sounds familiar…then a picture came to mind, and he recognized the images from his dream. 'I had forgotten how lonely I was…until you came.' He didn't like being lonely either, I never thought about it before…I've always been surrounded by people. My family, Koji and the gang, Miaka and the Suzaku seishi… I can't imagine being totally isolated. Just how long was Rumiya alone here anyway?
He glanced up at his now silent companion. Rumiya looked desolate for a moment, then perked up. "But I'm not alone now," He said, cheerfully, "I have a guest." He smiled at Tasuki. When he saw the frown on Tasuki's face, he hesitated, "You are going to stay for a while, aren't you, Genrou?"
Part of Tasuki wanted to say yes, because he owed his life to Rumiya and it just didn't seem right to dash the young man's hopes. But he couldn't say yes, I'm a Suzaku seishi. I owe my loyalty to Suzaku no Miko and the other seishi…and…they're my friends, I can't abandon them. Gomen nasai, Rumiya, but I can't stay… I have my duty.
"Iie, Rumiya. I have to go and find my friends."
Rumiya looked shocked, like he'd been reaching out a hand in friendship, but had ended up receiving a clout on the head. The shocked look slowly resolved itself into a questioning one. "There's nothing I can do to persuade you to stay?" Hopeful.
Tasuki shook his head. "No."
"Have it your way." Rumiya got to his feet. "If this is how you feel, Genrou, then I'm afraid I must prevent you from leaving in any way possible. I'm not going to spend eternity stranded on this godforsaken mountain all alone!"
He advanced on Tasuki slowly. The Suzaku seishi slowly backed away, reaching for his tessen. He didn't want to fight Rumiya, but he needed to return to his friends. And he wouldn't let anything prevent him from doing so.
Out of the corner of his eye, Tasuki noticed Arai, who was still snoozing by the fire. He didn't allow himself to be distracted, though. He turned his attention back to Rumiya, who had somehow acquired a rope. Where did he get that? And what is he planning to do, tie me up so I can't leave?
Rumiya lunged at him, and Tasuki dodged to the side, bringing his tessen into play. He didn't want to hurt the young man, I owe him my life, after all, so he didn't use the fire. Instead he brought the iron fan down on Rumiya's wrist.
The rope spun out of Rumiya's hand and skidded across the floor to rest against the wall, as Rumiya sank to the floor, clutching his hand against his body. Tasuki landed neatly on his feet and turned to face Rumiya, sure there was going to be another attack. There wasn't, though. Rumiya crouched on the floor, quivering slightly. For a moment Tasuki was concerned, I didn't hit him that hard, did I?
Then Rumiya muttered something that Tasuki didn't quite catch. "What?"
The young man raised his head to meet Tasuki's gaze. There were tears running down his cheeks. "Damn you, Genrou," he hissed softly. He jerked himself to his feet. He was shaking like a leaf in a strong wind, "May Genbu damn you for eternity!!!" The look on his face didn't quite match his angry words, he looked devastated, like someone who had just been betrayed by his best friend.
Still clutching his injured hand to his chest, Rumiya backed up and opened the cabin door. He stood there, framed in the doorway, with the strong winds howling and clutching at his clothes. In the back of his mind, Tasuki noticed that it was snowing. 'It's going to snow again today, brother.'
Rumiya ignored the cold, "Leave if you want to, Genrou. I can't stop you. Be warned, though! You'll never make it off the mountain without me to guide you!" With a bitter laugh, he disappeared into the storm.
Tasuki stood there, baffled.
'I can sense it.'
How was he going to get down?
'It's going to snow again…'
There was no way he'd be able to find his way back to the group.
'I can…'
He was stuck!
'sense the snow…'
He felt a wave of hopelessness.
'Can't you?'
He glanced down at his hands in despair
'Can you sense the snow?'
Hopeless…it was hopeless.
'I can…'
A voice in his mind was chattering on, as persistent as the howling winds outside.
'Let me help!'
Like the voice of a child…
'Trust me!'
It sounded vaguely like Rumiya's voice…when he'd been dreaming.
'Trust me, Genrou, Onegai…'
The feeling of hopelessness was fading.
'I'll help…'
Tasuki got to his feet, gripping his tessen tightly. How long had he been crouching there?
The despair was gone now, all that was left was grim resolution. I'll find my way back to
them, to the others! I can do it!
As if sensing his thoughts, Arai raised her massive white head to gaze in Tasuki's direction. If the bear could speak, he was sure it would ask, 'Are you sure you can?' Tasuki put the question out of his mind, he would make it back. And if he couldn't…
He wasn't sure he wanted to find out what would happen then.
Part 6 is finally up! (this should satisfy people for a while).
;-)