Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction ❯ Castle of the Moon ❯ Chapter 13

Chapter 13

 

That boy… Alecto studied him. He looked nine or ten years old at the most, yet there was something that suggested he was older. He shook his head.

Something was coming…

Arthur had just finished freeing the village elder, and now, the knights were breaking into a room… a walled up room…

Where his father kept captured Woads…

 

“You. Woman, you're a healer, correct?” Yue turned at Lancelot's voice. “Take a look at her.”

Guinevere moaned as Lancelot laid her down on a rough stretcher.

“Fingers broken.” The moon guardian nodded. “Dehydration, perhaps a day… not severe enough to be life-threatening. The boy Dagonet has? He's feverish.” He withdrew a vial of murky brown liquid from his `dress'. “Here. Give him this. It will ease the fever.”

Syaoran was quiet as the villagers were doctored up. Apparently a Saxon army was invading from the North… and so, they were abandoning this estate…

That woman… she reminded him of a black hole. If he weren't careful, she would take Yue away from him…

No, he was just overreacting, wasn't he?

 

And before they knew it, they were moving along, barely ahead of the Saxons… and the snow was beginning to fall…

He watched quietly as Guinevere started hitting on Arthur in a roundabout way - whatever drove men to seek out abusive women was clearly a mystery to the boy.

< You seem frightened. >

< Yue, if we die here, will we end up in Tomoeda and wake up again? >

The moon guardian hesitated. <I do not know. >

They had been running for two days, but the Saxons were coming closer, now they were barely hours behind.

Arthur seemed preoccupied… he had left camp late last night; maybe something had happened to him?

But now, the Saxons were coming closer…

 

“Seven against two hundred?”

“Eight.” Guinevere put in. “You could use an extra bow.”

“Then make it ten.” Yue retorted.

Arthur stared at the woman. “You're a healer. I know your skills are exceptional, but in a battle…”

The moon guardian laughed coldly. “I was a fighter long before I was a healer.”

“The boy can't fight!” Guinevere objected. “He's too young!”

“Jealous much?” Syaoran asked. “I'll be fine. Can I…?” Yue nodded and Syaoran smiled brilliantly.

“I promise not to get in the way.”

“Very well…” Arthur sighed. What a mess…

 

The Saxons were marching across the ice when they spotted the small group of people. They attempted to shoot, but were far out of range.

Cynric glared. Well, then they'd wait for close combat…

“We're out of range.”

“Bors, Tristan?” Arthur responded to Guinevere's accusation. Two Saxons fell. The main body continued to march forwards, faster…

“Aim for the wings of the ranks. Make them cluster.” Arthur ordered, as all the knights began to shoot in earnest.

< What is going on? >

< He's trying to make them break the ice. > Yue responded.

Syaoran shivered. < In that case… >

< No! Don't! They will fear you for it. >

< All right… > Syaoran's fingers moved back to the card he had originally planned to use. “Ready, Arrow?”

The spirit nodded with a mischievous smile.

“Let's go…”

 

Guinevere watched as the woman and her son both drew bows and arrows from their concealed packs and began firing. They were fast, and Arthur looked quite surprised as the Saxons fell, but even as they marched closer, the ice was still not cracking…

“Prepare for close combat. It's not going to crack!” The knights drew their respective weapons…

One man began to move…

And Syaoran made his move. “Freeze!”

It was only a spoken word, but it seemed to halt the army long enough for the ice to move, long enough for… Arthur rubbed his eyes in disbelief, wondering if they were playing tricks on him as ice wound up the men's legs and arms, freezing them solid…

In seconds, the Saxon army was a solid block of ice.

Syaoran was about to say something else, when he felt his legs give out underneath him and he slipped onto the ice.

“Boy! Are you all right?” Bors asked. Poor kid… probably shit himself; I'll bet this is his first battle…

< Dizzy… > Syaoran murmured to Yue. < Why? >

The rest of the knights tore their eyes away from the sight and went to see. Yue picked Syaoran up carefully, shaking his head.

< I do not know. You certainly did not change any cards… perhaps the strain of using magic here is much stronger? >

< Can I sleep now? >

< I'll scold you later. > Yue threatened, before Syaoran went limp in his arms.

 

“Did he… did he do that?” Tristan was still staring at the frozen knights with an expression on of shock.

“So that's why…” Lancelot shook his head. “Pagan through and through? How did he manage...?”

Guinevere was rather shocked. Even her father, Merlin, couldn't do anything on this scale, and yet this boy had…!
“Did you know?”

“Know?” Yue laughed. “Of course I knew. The power comes from my family after all. But if he had not hidden it, they would have staked and burnt him…”

Arthur winced. Yes, the churchmen would have done so…

`How is he?” Dagonet cut in.

“Resting. There's always a price to pay for magic. He'll be sleeping for many days to recover…”

Without another word, they mounted their horses and rode off again… the rest of the trip back to Hadrian's wall passed smoothly enough, and they duty was done… correct?

Freedom was now within their grasp… they would thank the strange white-haired woman and her child…

Something was still creeping nearer though. What was it?

No one knew…

 

End Chapter

Completed 5/10/05