Aozora's Song (9/12)
Previous: Aozora's Heart
09. Aozora’s Doubt
“Come with me,” the Dark Magician enticed.
Her soundless scream echoed across the empty distance.
*
Ao woke with a start. She turned on her side and saw Satoshi curled up in sleep beside her. Her nightmare eased away at the sight of him and she sighed.
She had protested when he planned to keep watch for yet another night. When she pleaded he finally relented, laying down next to her wearily. But as she now watched him sleep peacefully, his untroubled expression making him look many years younger, her eyes came to the crude bandage wrapped around his left arm and her smile disappeared. She knew he had lost a lot of blood. Ao did not want to think about the other living nightmare when she had been afraid he would not return, when he was out facing their pursuers while she was safe. She had tried her best to relieve him of other burdens, but there was only so much she could do.
Leaving Satoshi to sleep, she stood and stretched. Tonight they were going to meet up with Jun at last. Tonight, her fears would be abated. With Jun helping Satoshi, the burden on him would alleviate.
Only as Ao fully came out of her drowsiness did she feel the faint tug of her body to the east. She turned and stared into the trees. Nothing stirred or seemed out of the ordinary. Involuntarily, she took one step towards the pull. Terror slowly crept along from the trees, a darkness that was almost tangible, and it wound around her. It forced its way into her heart and mind. She was on the verge of choking when Satoshi touched her shoulder.
The darkness dissolved. Ao swiveled around and latched onto his arm in relief. Free of his visor, she saw his childlike frown as he stared at the direction she had faced. She knew he knew what pulled at her.
“What’s there?” she asked.
He did not answer her. Satoshi moved away and picked up his helmet.
“Let’s go,” he said.
*
They stopped a safe distance from where he and Jun planned to meet.
That night, Satoshi told her he would proceed alone and make sure their way was clear. Aware of her uselessness, Ao agreed. He held her by her shoulders, ready to hide her in the trunk of a hollow tree again, but before he did Satoshi leaned forward and pressed his soft lips against her forehead.
Warmth flooded her and she felt encouraged. Ao beamed, her cheeks flushed happily. She allowed him to confine her. Only when she was sitting silently within the tree did she reflect back and realize Satoshi had acted out of the ordinary.
Ao waited for a long time, but she was initially not afraid. Satoshi had warned her that it would take a while since he had to make sure the person he met was truly Jun, and if he had to wait for Jun to arrive then that made her wait even longer. She ate all the berries they had picked earlier that he left with her and then drifted in and out of sleep.
In the silent stillness, her mind wandered back to the similar night a few days ago. Despite assurances, as her wait lengthened she could not help reliving every moment of that past nightmare; not knowing what Satoshi planned to do, enclosed in complete darkness, hearing her enemies just outside her hiding place. Her pursuer’s brief conversation returned to her and she focused on remembering their exact words; they had called someone a traitor.
A traitor among them? Who? Surely, not her. She was the one least aware of what was going on. And the traitors couldn’t be Jun or Satoshi. Couldn’t be.
Without anyone to thwart the process of her muddled thoughts, as the silence around her lengthened, doubt began to creep into her. She did not want to doubt either of them, but still she could feel fear clawing through her. Jun and Satoshi couldn’t be traitors. But if they were... If they were, who were they betraying? Ao shivered. How dare she doubt them? But how could she not?
Suddenly wide awake, Ao leaned into her knees.
“It doesn’t matter,” she consoled herself, even though her heart wouldn’t stop pounding. “I don’t need to know the truth. I believe in Satoshi.” Ao felt crushed, winded, confused, and afraid. She wished Satoshi would return quickly. The thought of betrayal made her sick.
Someone knocked the bark from outside with the secret code Satoshi had devised.
Jun’s voice said, “Princess, it’s FIVE. I’ll be retrieving you from inside. Are you ready?”
Ao bit her lower lip. What would happen if she did not answer?
Jun rapped the trunk a second time.
If she did not answer, she would never see Satoshi again, Ao realized. Hesitantly, she returned his tap.
“I’m ready.”
She saw his hands appear through the bark and grip her shoulders. He pulled her through into the open, but left the tree untouched. Scrambling to stand from her knees, Ao blinked at the instant light of dusk. Jun crouched before her, his visor still pulled down, but his figure more gaunt than he had been previously. She looked around them and saw that they were alone except for the tethered horses behind Jun.
“Where is Satoshi?” she asked.
Jun’s head tilted and he seemed to observe her. She could not see his expression and for the first time it uneased her. She could not guess his thoughts. Truly, she did not know what was going on. Sudden fear engulfed her.
Jun interrupted her unease with, “He told you.”
Told her what? Ao squinted at him, wishing she could see into his mind, and then her eyes widened in comprehension. She had called Satoshi by his name. She covered her mistake by repeating her question.
“Where is Satoshi?”
She knew he had gone to meet up with Jun, but he would have returned. He could not have left her. Her thoughts returned to its previous occupation. Traitors. If Jun and Satoshi had betrayed their General, then they were capable of betraying each other. Jun stretched out his hand to her and she realized for the first time that there were only two horses for the both of them.
He did not answer her question. “I’ll tell you while we ride, your highness. We need to hurry.”
Ao took one step back and pressed against the tree behind her. Her voice came out low and uneven. “Where is Satoshi?”
In the forest around them, she saw the glint of armor and realized they were surrounded by armed men. Her blood chilled. Traitors. Could she believe Jun?
Next: Aozora's Destination
09. Aozora’s Doubt
“Come with me,” the Dark Magician enticed.
Her soundless scream echoed across the empty distance.
*
Ao woke with a start. She turned on her side and saw Satoshi curled up in sleep beside her. Her nightmare eased away at the sight of him and she sighed.
She had protested when he planned to keep watch for yet another night. When she pleaded he finally relented, laying down next to her wearily. But as she now watched him sleep peacefully, his untroubled expression making him look many years younger, her eyes came to the crude bandage wrapped around his left arm and her smile disappeared. She knew he had lost a lot of blood. Ao did not want to think about the other living nightmare when she had been afraid he would not return, when he was out facing their pursuers while she was safe. She had tried her best to relieve him of other burdens, but there was only so much she could do.
Leaving Satoshi to sleep, she stood and stretched. Tonight they were going to meet up with Jun at last. Tonight, her fears would be abated. With Jun helping Satoshi, the burden on him would alleviate.
Only as Ao fully came out of her drowsiness did she feel the faint tug of her body to the east. She turned and stared into the trees. Nothing stirred or seemed out of the ordinary. Involuntarily, she took one step towards the pull. Terror slowly crept along from the trees, a darkness that was almost tangible, and it wound around her. It forced its way into her heart and mind. She was on the verge of choking when Satoshi touched her shoulder.
The darkness dissolved. Ao swiveled around and latched onto his arm in relief. Free of his visor, she saw his childlike frown as he stared at the direction she had faced. She knew he knew what pulled at her.
“What’s there?” she asked.
He did not answer her. Satoshi moved away and picked up his helmet.
“Let’s go,” he said.
*
They stopped a safe distance from where he and Jun planned to meet.
That night, Satoshi told her he would proceed alone and make sure their way was clear. Aware of her uselessness, Ao agreed. He held her by her shoulders, ready to hide her in the trunk of a hollow tree again, but before he did Satoshi leaned forward and pressed his soft lips against her forehead.
Warmth flooded her and she felt encouraged. Ao beamed, her cheeks flushed happily. She allowed him to confine her. Only when she was sitting silently within the tree did she reflect back and realize Satoshi had acted out of the ordinary.
Ao waited for a long time, but she was initially not afraid. Satoshi had warned her that it would take a while since he had to make sure the person he met was truly Jun, and if he had to wait for Jun to arrive then that made her wait even longer. She ate all the berries they had picked earlier that he left with her and then drifted in and out of sleep.
In the silent stillness, her mind wandered back to the similar night a few days ago. Despite assurances, as her wait lengthened she could not help reliving every moment of that past nightmare; not knowing what Satoshi planned to do, enclosed in complete darkness, hearing her enemies just outside her hiding place. Her pursuer’s brief conversation returned to her and she focused on remembering their exact words; they had called someone a traitor.
A traitor among them? Who? Surely, not her. She was the one least aware of what was going on. And the traitors couldn’t be Jun or Satoshi. Couldn’t be.
Without anyone to thwart the process of her muddled thoughts, as the silence around her lengthened, doubt began to creep into her. She did not want to doubt either of them, but still she could feel fear clawing through her. Jun and Satoshi couldn’t be traitors. But if they were... If they were, who were they betraying? Ao shivered. How dare she doubt them? But how could she not?
Suddenly wide awake, Ao leaned into her knees.
“It doesn’t matter,” she consoled herself, even though her heart wouldn’t stop pounding. “I don’t need to know the truth. I believe in Satoshi.” Ao felt crushed, winded, confused, and afraid. She wished Satoshi would return quickly. The thought of betrayal made her sick.
Someone knocked the bark from outside with the secret code Satoshi had devised.
Jun’s voice said, “Princess, it’s FIVE. I’ll be retrieving you from inside. Are you ready?”
Ao bit her lower lip. What would happen if she did not answer?
Jun rapped the trunk a second time.
If she did not answer, she would never see Satoshi again, Ao realized. Hesitantly, she returned his tap.
“I’m ready.”
She saw his hands appear through the bark and grip her shoulders. He pulled her through into the open, but left the tree untouched. Scrambling to stand from her knees, Ao blinked at the instant light of dusk. Jun crouched before her, his visor still pulled down, but his figure more gaunt than he had been previously. She looked around them and saw that they were alone except for the tethered horses behind Jun.
“Where is Satoshi?” she asked.
Jun’s head tilted and he seemed to observe her. She could not see his expression and for the first time it uneased her. She could not guess his thoughts. Truly, she did not know what was going on. Sudden fear engulfed her.
Jun interrupted her unease with, “He told you.”
Told her what? Ao squinted at him, wishing she could see into his mind, and then her eyes widened in comprehension. She had called Satoshi by his name. She covered her mistake by repeating her question.
“Where is Satoshi?”
She knew he had gone to meet up with Jun, but he would have returned. He could not have left her. Her thoughts returned to its previous occupation. Traitors. If Jun and Satoshi had betrayed their General, then they were capable of betraying each other. Jun stretched out his hand to her and she realized for the first time that there were only two horses for the both of them.
He did not answer her question. “I’ll tell you while we ride, your highness. We need to hurry.”
Ao took one step back and pressed against the tree behind her. Her voice came out low and uneven. “Where is Satoshi?”
In the forest around them, she saw the glint of armor and realized they were surrounded by armed men. Her blood chilled. Traitors. Could she believe Jun?
Next: Aozora's Destination