Discovering and Idea's
(Umi – Morning after her nightmare)
Umi woke to a familiar smell filling her nose and fingers gently scratching the back of her head, as she opened her eyes, she saw her arm draped on someone laying right next to her and looking up she could see Kotori's sleeping face.
Umi tried to move only for Kotori to tighten her hold 'What are you doing break the hold.' Umi heard her honour try and shout but it seemed somewhat muffled. But for once Umi ignored the voice 'Just a dream.' She thought to herself.
'Had to be a dream, I feel well rested and my muscles don't ache so much and Saki isn't making any noise, I must be dreaming of a past time.' Umi added in her mindand this seemed to quieten her honour down, though she could pin down when this might have happened in the past.
'If only this dream was real, though it is a pretty shameless dream.' Umi thought as she closed her eyes and went back to sleep drifting back to sleep in Kotori's soft arms and breathing in Kotori's always sweet smell that she always used to get lost in.
Saki made a tiny noise as she moved in the cot before settling down again, but in her state of deep sleep Umi missed it.
(Nozomi and Eli)
"You don't suppose Sakura was telling the truth?" Eli asked as she made ready her horse.
"You mean about Kotori being disowned?" Nozomi asked to which Eli nodded "I'm not sure, Lord Minami was very susceptible to Kira, but I wouldn't have thought he would disown his own daughter, I will ask Lady Minami about it."
"But what if he has, what do we do?"
"We are committed now Eli; we can't back down." Nozomi sighed, before she smiled and gave Eli a kiss "Stay safe Elichi."
"I will." Eli whispered before she leaned forward and kissed Nozomi back before she mounted her horse.
"You better."
Eli smiled and leaned down and took Nozomi's hand "Anything for my lady." Eli smiled before she kissed Nozomi's hand before she set off.
(Riko)
"That's an ugly sight." Yoshiko muttered as she stood next to Riko.
"Yes, it is." Riko sighed as she looked at the sight before her from the ruined front gate of her castle. Infront and below the pair were bodies laid on the ground "Did it get them all?" Riko asked quietly.
"Yes, so what now?"
"We bury them." Riko sighed.
"Not wishing to be the bearer of bad news, but this doesn't really help us rescue Yo."
"No, but it's given us the chance to." Tsuki replied, Riko could see she was pointedly keeping her back to the sight outside the castle.
As Riko looked at the bodies of Kira's troops an idea came to her mind "Actually, this does help us to rescue Yo." She muttered quietly.
"How?" Yoshiko asked.
"We use their armour, disguise ourselves as some of Kira's troops and sneak into the castle and then sneak out again."
"You're sure we'll find armour to fit, plus we'd be going right into the heart of Kira's army." Tsuki pondered.
"With all those bodies out there we're bound to find some that fit." Yoshiko countered "I've used the trick Lady Riko is suggesting before, though what's the plan after that?"
"After that we head to either the Tojo or Ohara lands and hope they provide us with shelter."
"We'll need some time to rest and get organised." Yoshiko sighed.
"How long?" Riko asked quietly.
"Four, maybe five days."
"Very well." Riko said turning away and walking back into the ruined castle 'Yo don't hate me for what I did, please.' Riko begged in her head as she walked away.
(Kotori)
"Hanayo?" Kotori asked seeing the brunette stood in front of a tree with her eyes closed "Are you ok?"
"Oh yes, sorry I was just thinking." Hanayo replied opening her eyes.
"You worried about Rin leaving soon?"
"How did you know?"
"You're the same as me." Kotori smiled "Worried about those we care about."
"I know, I try not worry but…"
"It feels like part of your souls missing with them off in danger?"
"Yes." Hanayo sighed "I even tired giving her a good luck charm, I hoped it might make it easier but it really doesn't."
"A good luck charm?" Kotori asked, "You mean that cat charm I've seen her with?"
"Yes." Hanayo said with a slight blush "Wait, you saw it?"
"Yes, I went to your chamber to look for you and I saw her staring at it, she seemed really attached to it." Kotori smiled at the last part.
"Oh, I see." Hanayo said with a small smile "I thought it might help me worry less knowing she had a piece of me with her all the time."
"Did it help?"
"I don't know." Hanayo sighed "Sorry, was there something you wanted?"
"Actually yes." Kotori smiled.
"What is it?"
"Well it's kind of the same idea as yours, you don't happen to have some spare cloth to hand do you?"
"Yes, we should have some."
(Ruby and Yo)
Yo groaned as she opened her eyes, her whole body aching and her wounds burning.
"Yo are you ok?" Yo heard Ruby ask.
"I feel like I was ridden over."
"Is there anything I can do?" Ruby asked quietly.
"Think you can drag me to the wall so I can sit up?"
"I can try." Ruby said hesitantly as she moved to try and pick Yo up "Are you ready?"
"Yeah." Yo nodded.
Ruby picked Yo up as gently as she could and pulled her carefully to the wall, despite her best efforts Yo still hissed and groaned in pain as she was moved.
"Sorry." Ruby said quietly after she had got Yo to the wall.
"It's fine." Yo sighed "Do you mind if I ask, how did Kira capture you?"
"Oh, me and Dia were trying to reach the bridge to the Sonoda's lands when we got cut off, we were wiped out." Ruby said meekly "What about you?"
"When our army was defeated near the Minami castle, I got cut off from the rest of the rest of the army, I was trying to make it back here when we were caught and wiped out." Yo groaned 'I'm glad Riko wasn't caught up that.'
(Hanayo and Rin – Night-time)
"Be careful Rin." Hanayo said quietly as she stood watching Rin clean her blade.
Rin turned and faced her with a smile "I'll be fine Nya, don't worry, besides, I have this to bring me luck." Rin said as she held up the cat pendant.
Hanayo smiled "Would you like something else for luck?"
"Like what?" Rin asked curious.
"Close your eyes." Hanayo whispered once Rin had complied Hanayo leaned closer and captured Rin's lips with hers, she pulled back and rest her head on Rin's "Be careful." Hanayo whispered.
"I will Kayo-chin." Rin smiled as the stayed resting their heads on the others for a moment staring at each other with smiles on their faces.
(Riko – Night-time the next day)
Riko sighed as she lay on her futon arm draped over her eyes, she felt like a mountain had been placed on her shoulders and she had been the one to put it there.
She was determined to save Yo but she had no idea where they were keeping her, the note she had been given the day she'd sent Yoshiko out to poison the enemy army had only said they had her in custody, the most likely places were either at the Minami castle or at one of the Watanabe castles but that still left them with three options and then she had to think of a way to get in and out and then get the Ohara or Tojo lands.
She was faced with a million questions and she didn't have the first clue how to answer them, she wasn't even sure if she should take a small group and tell the rest to go their own way or take all her army.
"Way to give yourself an impossible task." Riko groaned to herself with a sniff as she felt her emotions bubble up. She'd been fighting without rest for weeks now and she hadn't yet had change to take it all, her parents dying, Yo being captured, the constant attacks had kept her mind occupied but now with the distractions out the way her emotions couldn't be hidden anymore and she could feel them bubbling to the surface.
Riko let out and sniff as she tried to push the tears down, she could feel the patch over her heart begin to give and her fear at what was happening to Yo and her own feelings for the girl start to seep out.
Before her emotions could break out anything further, she heard someone running to her chamber "Riko!" came Tsuki's voice from behind the door.
"Tsuki?" Riko said wiping her eyes as the dark-haired girl barged right into the room with Yoshiko right behind her and Hanamaru limping a bit behind "What is it?"
"We were searching the camp to try and find any leads and we found this." Tsuki said handing over a note "It seems one of Kira top lieutenants was leading this army and he had this with him."
"What is it?" Riko asked as she took the note.
"Something of great trouble for the spirits." Yoshiko replied.
Confused Riko and read the note and felt a chill run down her spine, she read it again to make sure her mind wasn't playing tricks on her and she felt her blood boiling "Are you sure this is real?" Riko asked through gritted teeth.
"Yes, it is, apparently it was announced a few weeks before the war started Zura."
Riko crumpled the note in her hands, her anger bubbling up rapidly 'That liar!' Riko thought.
"So what do we do?" Yoshiko asked.
"The plan is the same, rescue Yo and then get to the nearest friendly land." Riko growled, before she took a breath to compose herself "Get some rest." Riko sighed.
When the trio left Riko collapsed on her futon before letting out a sob "Mom, Dad I'm sorry." Riko choked as she felt her heart about to shatter 'Oh Yo, please be safe when I find you.' Riko thought before her tears flowed like rain.