Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction ❯ Heart's Treasures ❯ The Cherry Grove ( Chapter 4 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Heart's Treasures: Part 4
By: Starlight Rose
Email: starlighto_rose@hotmail.com

Disclaimer: Much as it pains me to say so, I don't own CCS. Clamp and a whole bunch of companies own it; I'm just borrowing the characters. This is an adaptation of the Grimm's fairytale "Thousand Furs" or "The Disguised Princess" though I have changed several very important parts of the story because I either didn't like them or thought they would not apply well with the CCS characters. Not to mention I'm lengthening it quite a bit so the story is mine! Don't take!

A.N. Wow is it my imagination or do I seem to be getting worse and worse about writing long chapters? Yes this chapter could have been split up but I didn't feel like it because I felt it was better long like this. I was going to give it another section but decided not to at the last moment. C&C are welcome and enjoyed. So be kind and R&R. BTW does anyone else not like FF.net's new format?

*****************************

Once they reached the castle Sakura meekly followed the young man who had introduced himself to her as Takashi as he walked towards the castle kitchens. They entered the kitchens and a myriad of smells and sounds assaulted her. Looking around she saw everyone furiously working preparing the midday meal for the royalty and nobility of the castle along with the servants of the castle. Everyone looked extremely busy and all the unknown people started to make Sakura feel uneasy. She had felt fine earlier, but she could not understand why although there were about the same number of people in the kitchen as there were on the hunt earlier. She wondered if it was because the handsome kind young man had been with them then. She was grateful to him for taking her in with so few questions and the thought of him started making her blush.

"Chiharu." Takashi called out as he entered the kitchen.

A woman of around twenty whom was attending a hearth with a big slab of meat roasting on it turned around as she heard his call. "Takashi!" she said startled, "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be out hunting still?"

"Yes, but we weren't able to catch anything but we did find someone that can help you here in the kitchen like you requested." Takashi said motioning to Sakura, "We found her in the woods this morning. She apparently escaped from Flora when the Draconian army attacked it."

Chiharu looked at Sakura and gave her a considering look, "You are a frail thing aren't you? What did you do before you escaped?"

Looking down Sakura replied timidly, "I was a serving maid."

Chiharu's face softened and she said, "I'm afraid you'll be in a lower position than before. You will be a scullery maid here. The work here in the kitchens is hard, you'll be sweeping up the ashes, tending to the fires, and watching the food to make sure it doesn't burn."

"I don't mind." Sakura replied.

"No you don't look like you'd mind. You seem as gentle as a lamb. What is your name?"

"I have no name and no family." Sakura said softly biting her lip.

"I call her Thousand Furs and she doesn't seem to mind." Takashi volunteered.

"That is no thing to call a girl!" Chiharu said glaring at the man.

"Thousand Furs is fine. I don't mind." Sakura said trying to forestall anymore inquires about her identity.

"If that is how you feel then we shall call you that. You came from the Flora Kingdom right? It is sad to hear that that lovely kingdom was invaded. My mother came from there and she always told me wonderful stories about it and it's kind and gentle king."

Sakura felt the beginnings of a tear forming in her eyes at the mention of her kingdom and her father. She blinked the tear away but did not succeed completely as she felt a single teardrop wind its way down her cheek. "There, there, don't cry." Chiharu told her. "Everything will be alright. You will be safe here and everyone is really nice as long as you stay out of the king's way when he is on one of his rages, though he is a kind soul. Not like you will see the king that often to have to worry about it. You must have not had anything to eat since last night. Here follow me and I'll get you something to eat and find you a room."

Sakura nodded her head and mutely followed the older girl. "Chiharu? What about me? Can I get something to eat too?" Sakura heard Takashi ask.

Chiharu snorted derisively and replied, "You can wait to eat. I already fed you this morning." So saying she turned around and led Sakura to a table had seated her there. She left and came back with a bowl of porridge with a bit of sweetener in it to give it more flavor and an apple. For Sakura a meal like this would normally have been considered extremely simple fare, but she knew she was a servant now and could not expect more. Once she had finished eating, Chiharu led the girl to her room. It was small room barely large enough to hold a bed and a small chest and table with a tiny lantern since the room had no windows. "I'm sorry this room is so small and shabby, but we have nothing else available right now."

"This is fine." Sakura replied.

Chiharu looked at her sharply and took a step towards her and took her chin and raised her head to look her straight in the eyes, "There! That's better! You have very pretty eyes and I imagine a very pretty face too if it wasn't for all that dirt. You should be proud of them and look people straight in the eyes instead of looking at the floors all the time. You'll be looking at them enough with the work you'll be doing. No need to look at them more often than you have to. I imagine you weren't able to bring much with you. Do you have any other clothes than that?" Sakura shook her head since Chiharu had released her chin. "Fine then. I suppose I will also need to get you a few smocks to wear. Won't you take off that fur coat? It must be hot in it."

"I'm fine. You don't need to trouble yourself with me and I want to wear this coat. It reminds me of..."

"Of home?" Chiharu finished for her and when Sakura nodded her head Chiharu smiled softly at her. "I suppose there is no helping that. I'll get you a few more smocks to wear. I'll leave you alone now. When you are done putting your things up come to the kitchen and I'll put you to work." Chiharu said and then she left and Sakura was alone in the dark room. Sakura removed her bag from around her shoulders and placed it in the chest. She looked at her hair and saw it was scraggly with twigs, leaves, and dirt all over it. She bit her lip and found an old piece of rag lying on the table and wrapped her hair up in it. Looking around the room and telling herself that maybe her new life would not be so bad Sakura left the room and made her way to the kitchen.

Thus her life in the Fauna Kingdom started. She was now a scullery maid, one of the lowest positions within the castle, a far cry from her position only a day ago. But she was resigned to her fate and accepted it as best as she could. Her days soon fell into a schedule. She would awake as the cock crowed and go fetch the water for the preparation of the morning's meal. She was usually alone when she did so and was happy for the time outside alone. It was the one time during the day when she was not completely exhausted or beleaguered with work. She often spent of time in the morning feeding and talking to the birds that loved her and comforted her before she returned indoors with the water. She then started the fires that would be used in the cooking of the meals. At that point she would start doing some of her other chores like sweeping out the kitchen and helping the cooks prepare the meal. Once the meal was prepared and the royalty and nobles served then she could eat along with the other servants and have an hour of rest before she had to do everything again to prepare for the midday meal and then supper.

*****************************

Syaoran sat in his study reviewing a list of petitions that his mother had given him earlier in the day. He didn't understand why she bothered with giving him the petitions to review since he was never the one to make the decisions regarding the petitions. No instead it was always his mother that the final decision went to and Syaoran was beginning to tire of the farce. The only real responsibility he was deemed worthy enough to attend to was greeting foreign dignitaries, but only because she was king and anyone else greeting them would be considered disrespectful.

He raked his fingers through his chestnut brown hair and sighed. He had finally finished reviewing the lists of petitions after a long grueling morning. It had been difficult for him to do something that only weeks ago he would have finished in a matter of a couple hours, but lately Syaoran had been preoccupied. Whatever he did the image of tear-bright green eyes always crept into his mind. The face that they were set in was blurred in his mind but the eyes remained bright and sorrowful.

"Why do I keep thinking about her?" Syaoran asked himself in frustration. Think as he might he could come up with no logical answer except for that he pitied the girl and was worried about her. He wondered how she was doing in the kitchens. He had not seen her at all since he had brought her back to the castle with him several weeks ago, but he supposed that it would be difficult for him to see her considering she was probably down in the kitchen all day.

Finally frustrated and restless Syaoran resolved to go take a walk in the castle gardens. He got up from his desk tiredly and strolled through the castle corridors lost in his thoughts most of which revolved around a certain green-eyed waif that he had taken in a few weeks before. He went out into the garden and walked around. The peaceful midmorning air helped to calm his restlessness and his tension and frustration melted away from him. He walked along the garden paths enjoying the sight and scent of the flowers that surrounded him. It was mid-April and the weather was warm without being hot. The many of the garden's flowers were in full bloom including one of his favorites the cherry blossom. It pale pink blossoms had always attracted him especially when an errant wind brushed past them causing showers of the blossoms to fall upon him.

He entered a little walked and used niche of the garden that was full of cherry trees. It was one of his favorite places because it was one of the few places where he could truly be alone and block the rest of the world out. Today as he went into the garden he heard a soft female voice talking quietly. Syaoran halted his steps and wondered if he should intrude upon the person that was already there. Also Syaoran did not feel like seeing anyone at that moment. He had left come to the garden and this groove in particular to be alone. Sighing to himself and deciding he might as well find out whom it was that had wandered into his sanctum Syaoran quietly looked around the tree he was standing behind.

There sitting in the middle of the groove was the girl he had been thinking about for the past two weeks. Her hair was wrapped up and her face was covered with soot rather than dirt but the bright green eyes and the fur coat gave her away as being the girl from before. She was talking gently to something sitting in her lap. Wanting to know what she was talking to Syaoran tried taking a step closer, but as he did so he stepped on a twig. The sound of the twig breaking alerted the girl to his presence and she looked up with wide frightened eyes and asked in a trembling voice, "Who's there?"

Seeing the frightened look on her face Syaoran walked around the tree wishing to comfort her with the fact that he meant her no harm. "It is only I." He said, "I will not harm you."

The girl's face flushed with relief until her face seemed to look apprehensive once more as she realized who she was looking at. "Your Lordship, I'm sorry." She said hastily. Syaoran wondered what she had to be sorry about, "I'll leave right now. I thought that no one ever came to this part of the garden. I'm sorry to have disturbed you."

So saying she got up carefully holding whatever it was that rested in her lap and began to scurry away when Syaoran reached out a hand to her. His hand brushed lightly against her shoulder neck and he felt a pleasant shock go through his fingers. "No wait." He said, "It is I that should apologize for disturbing you."

"Please do not say that sire. This is the royal gardens, royalty and nobility are allowed in here, but servants other than gardeners are not. I have broken the rules and I am prepared for your punishment." the girl said with her head bowed.

"Well I will give you special permission to be here then." Syaoran said.

The girl turned hopeful eyes upon him then, "Could you really do that? I thought that only the queen and king could do that."

Syaoran reeled in shock as he realized the girl did not know he was the king. He laughed at himself then as he remembered that she was from another country so how could she know. Smiling gently down at her he said, "I will speak to the king about it. He should not mind. No one comes to this part of the garden except for me."

"Thank-you, my Lord." The girl said smiling brightly and curtsying.

Syaoran thought what a beautiful smile she had before noticing the bundle she still held in her arms and he asked her gently, "What is that you are holding?"

The girl's face flushed with embarrassment as she sat down and opened up her arms to reveal a tiny white bunny with a small strip of cloth wrapped around it's right paw. "I found him today while I was here. He seemed to have a thorn in his paw and I removed it for him and bandaged him. I was planning on taking care of him until his foot got better."

Syaoran smiled at the answer before saying, "You can do whatever you want to. If you wish I can get you some cleaner bandages and some ointment for you to put on his foot."

The girl smiled gratefully up at him and replied, "I would not want to trouble you my Lord. I can take care of this little one alone."

"It will be not be any trouble. Wait here and I'll be back with it in a minute and that is an order." Syaoran said before rushing into the castle to gather the bandages and ointment. He returned to see the girl sitting there talking in soft tones to the rabbit and gently stroking its side. The scene stirred his heart in a way that made him feel both happy, but disconcerted.

The two tended to the rabbit quietly and when it was re-bandaged the girl set it down and it began to tentatively hop about and then returned to the girl and nuzzle her hand. The girl laughed at its antics and Syaoran felt himself smiling a true smile for the first time in months watching her. He suddenly realized that he had never gotten her name. As gently as he could wary of the memories of that asking her name might evoke in her he said, "I still do not know your name. Pray tell fair lady what might it be?"

The girl smiled at him before her face regained some of its earlier sadness and she said quietly, "Please do not jest with me like that my lord. I am only a simple scullery maid not a fair lady. I have no name and no family. Everyone just calls me either girl or Thousand Furs."

"So that name Takashi gave you stuck? I meant to talk to him about that, but never had the chance I will now though. Such a name is not proper for a lady even if she is only a scullery maid." Syaoran said smiling wryly at the girl.

"Takashi and Chiharu have both been really kind to me. Please do not scold him for the name." the girl replied quickly jumping to Syaoran's manservant's defense.

Syaoran felt a sudden upwelling of jealously at the way the girl defended his manservant. It was painfully obvious to him that she had become close to him in the few weeks he was there and Syaoran was jealous of it as he realized that Takashi could probably see her bright green eyes and gentle smile anytime. He wondered at his reaction but pushed out of his mind and if for the next week Takashi wondered why his king was particularly cold towards him, neither he nor the Syaoran would truly understand why for a while. Finally not knowing how to answer to that and not wanting to call the girl Thousand Furs Syaoran asked, "Is there another name I may call you by?"

"Anything your Lordship chooses to call me by his fine." the girl replied.

"Hmm...how about Sakura?" Syaoran suggested. The girl looked up at him startled and seemed about to run when Syaoran continued and explained, "This groove is full of cherry trees in full bloom and one of my favorite flowers is the cherry blossom. I believe Sakura is the name of the cherry blossom in Flora. It seems appropriate to call you that since we met here, but I shall reserve that name for I alone to call you and I will call you that only when we are alone." Syaoran blinked in astonishment at what he just said surprised by the possessiveness in his words.

"As you wish my Lord." the girl who he now thought of as Sakura replied.

Syaoran frowned as he realized what else was bothering him, "Please just call me Syaoran. 'My lord' is too formal and I do not need formality where it is not necessary."

Sakura looked down and whispered, "I cannot. That is not fitting for a servant to call a Lord by his name."

Syaoran smiled mischievously as he realized how he could use his rank to his advantage and he asked in an innocent voice, "Well what if I order you to?"

Sakura laughed at his question and replied, "Then I will have no choice but to obey and call you Syaoran, my Lord."

"Good! Then I order you to no longer call me 'my Lord' and call me Syaoran. Though," and Syaoran frowned as he realized what his mother would say to this, "Do be careful when you call me Syaoran."

"I'll be careful," Sakura replied smiling, "But if you will excuse me Syaoran, I must be going back to the kitchens to help prepare the midday meal and clean up." Syaoran smiled at the use of his name and nodded.

Sakura got up and curtsied gracefully to Syaoran and he thought she seemed more elegant in her fur coats and soot-stained than all the court ladies in their fine dresses and jewels ever could. He watched her as she walked away and smiled to himself. Syaoran went back to the castle then in a better mood than he had been in for months.

*****************************

Sakura had been in Fauna for a little over two weeks. During her first week there she had to learn to adjust to being a servant. Everyone around her was very nice to her and tried to help her however they could. She learned some of the rules that she was expected to obey and the other servants gave her some helpful hints in dealing with the nobility and royalty of the castle, not like she really needed the hints because she never saw any of them. Though she often wondered who the young man that had rescued her had been.

While she was wandering around outside when she stumbled upon a beautiful groove of trees. The trees were cherry trees all in full bloom. The tiny pink and white blossoms fluttered around her stirred by the wind and Sakura felt at peace for the first time since she had arrived there in Fauna. The groove of trees reminded her of her home and her mother. In Flora everywhere you went there were cherry trees that Sakura's mother, Nadeshiko, had had planted throughout the kingdom in celebration of Sakura's birth. Sitting in the groove of trees Sakura could imagine that she was at home and at any moment her brother would walk from behind a tree and attempt to scare her.

She walked back to the kitchen later that day to ask Chiharu about the groove. Chiharu was surprised when she heard about and told Sakura, "I believe that is part of the royal gardens. Only royalty and nobility and the gardeners are allowed in there. Servants are not allowed in there unless they get special permission from the king."

"Oh." Sakura said disappointed that she would no longer be allowed to visit her groove since it was off limits to servants.

"But," Chiharu continued seeing the disappointed look on the young girl's face, "No one ever goes to that part of the garden except for the gardeners from what I hear. I'm sure that as long as someone wanting to visit the groove is careful then no one will mind. The gardeners certainly won't and they are the only ones that ever go there."

"Thank-you Chiharu." Sakura said smiling brightly relieved to be able to visit her groove again.

"I didn't do anything for you to thank me for." Chiharu answered winking conspiratorially at Sakura.

After that Sakura visited the groove whenever she had some free time which was usually during mid-morning hours when the breakfast had been already prepared and it was still to early to start the midday meal. Chiharu often took over some of Sakura's duties for her so that she could visit the groove. Chiharu felt sorry for the young girl and she liked her. The girl seemed melancholy too often and since the groove seemed to be the only thing that gave her any joy, Chiharu helped her to be able to visit as often as possible.

When Sakura reached the groove this morning she found laying in the groove a tiny baby rabbit with a thorn in its paw. She approached the rabbit slowly and carefully so as to not scare it off. The rabbit trembled as it saw her and she reached a hand out to gently stroke it murmuring soothing words softly to it. The rabbit as if understanding her relaxed a bit and allowed her to pick it up. She examined the rabbits paw and found the thorn deeply embedded in it.

"Oh you poor thing!" Sakura exclaimed. She carefully grabbed the thorn between two of her fingers and pulled the thorn out as carefully as she could. She felt the rabbit trembling and whimpering with pain on her lap as she was removing the thorn and she began whispering to it, "It'll be all right soon. Let me just take this thorn out and you'll be fine. I'll take care of you. I won't hurt you."

Sakura finished pulling the thorn out of its paw and then bandaged it with a piece of cloth she tore from the rag that was covering her hair. The rabbit licked her hand gently in appreciation and she laughingly told it, "Hey stop that. It tickles." Just as she said that she heard a twig snapping and Sakura's head snapped up. She looked frantically around her dreading that she would be caught and punished, but mostly afraid she would no longer be allowed to come to her sanctuary anymore.

A man young man stepped out from behind a tree and said gently to her, "It is only I. I will not harm you." Sakura stared at the young man and realized that he was the kind young man that had saved her. She assumed he was a lord and knew that even if he would not hurt her she would no longer be allowed to come to her groove anymore.

Cradling the rabbit in her arms Sakura got up to leave saying, "Your Lordship, I'm sorry. I'll leave right now. I thought that no one ever came to this part of the garden. I'm sorry to have disturbed you." She was just beginning to walk away when she felt an electric shock pass thorough her as she felt the young man's fingers brush her neck as he reached out to stop her.

Sakura gasped silently, as the young man seemingly breathing heavily said, "No wait, it is I that should apologize for disturbing you."

Sakura bowed her head and said quietly, "Please do not say that sire. This is the royal gardens, royalty and nobility are allowed in here, but servants other than gardeners are not. I have broken the rules and I am prepared for your punishment. Sakura held back tears knowing that she would soon no longer have her sanctuary.

"Well I will give you special permission to be here then." the man told her.

Sakura looked up at him hopefully not daring to believe that not only would he not punish her and report her, but he would also give her permission to stay in the garden. Suddenly dismay overtook her as she realized that only the queen and king were able to give such permission. She still hoped and asked him, "Could you really do that? I thought that only the queen and king could do that."

The man seemed startled by her question before a slow smile overtook his face and Sakura felt her heart leap into her throat as she realized just how handsome he was. The wind stirred his chestnut brown hair with the cherry blossoms swirling around behind him. His amber eyes glowed with gentleness as he told her, "I will speak to the king about it. He should not mind. No one comes to this part of the garden except for me."

Sakura felt herself breaking out into a joyful smile and she curtseyed to the young man saying, "Thank-you, my Lord."

The young lord's amber eyes seemed to stray to the rabbit that Sakura was holding in her arm and his eyes lit up with curiosity as he asked her, "What is that you are holding?"

Sakura felt her face going hot and knew that she must have been blushing furiously completely unaware that the young lord or rather young king thought she looked beautiful with her cheeks suffused with a pink tint. Sakura carefully sank down to the ground and removed her arms from around the bunny while explaining, "I found him today while I was here. He seemed to have a thorn in his paw and I removed it for him and bandaged him. I was planning on taking care of him until his foot got better."

The man smiled down at Sakura before suggesting, "You can do whatever you want to. If you wish I can get you some cleaner bandages and some ointment for you to put on his foot."

Sakura looked at him in surprise and smiled gratefully before protesting, "I would not want to trouble you my Lord. I can take care of this little one alone."

"It will be not be any trouble. Wait here and I'll be back with it in a minute and that is an order." the man told her before he rushed away. Sakura watched him as he left. She marveled at how kind he was. She had not expected anyone especially those that were noble born from Fauna to be so kind and gentle. She had heard stories of the arrogance and temper of the Faunian nobility and felt relieved to have her preconceptions shatter thus.

After he was out of sight Sakura turned her attention back to the rabbit in her lap and smiled at it. Stroking its head she was whispering to it, "He really is nice is he not? I wish I could have met someone like him when I was a princess rather than now. I could fall in love with someone like him. But I am no princess and all he sees me only as is a poor orphan that he chooses to pity. I suppose it is better this way. It does not matter though because I cannot fall in love with him. Our kingdoms were never on good terms with each other and I'm sure my brother would have thrown a fit. Still it is nice to dream. I wonder how everyone is. I pray they are alive and well."

The young man soon returned with the bandages and Sakura worked silently with him to bandage the rabbit. She held the rabbit down and stroked it to calm it as the young man removed her sloppy bandaging job and placed ointment on the rabbit's injured foot then bandaged it with fresh clean cloth. Sakura set the rabbit down after the man had finished bandaging it and it began to hop about though it was slightly lame in the injured foot. It hopped back over to her and began nuzzling her hand causing her to laugh as its soft touch tickled her hand. She felt the young man's eyes on her before he said gently, "I still do not know your name. Pray tell fair lady what might it be?

Sakura was struck suddenly with an overwhelming amount of sorrow at the question and smiled sadly at him before turning her head slightly away to hide the tears that threatened to spill out and said quietly, "Please do not jest with me like that my lord. I am only a simple scullery maid not a fair lady. I have no name and no family. Everyone just calls me either girl or Thousand Furs." His calling her a fair lady mocked though she knew he was only being polite. She knew that she could hardly be called fair with her hair dirty and matted and her face soot covered and it hurt to know that he should tease her so cruelly.

The man seemed to muse over her answer for a bit before he said, "So that name Takashi gave you stuck? I meant to talk to him about that, but never had the chance I will now though. Such a name is not proper for a lady even if she is only a scullery maid."

Sakura felt sudden dismay that she might have gotten Takashi, who had been very kind to her since he had first taken her to Chiharu, into trouble with his lord inadvertently. She whirled to face the young man and with pleading eyes begged him, "Takashi and Chiharu have both been really kind to me. Please do not scold him for the name."

The man seemed to eye her warily for a few moments and his smile seemed to have faded into a frown as he was thinking to himself and Sakura felt afraid for the first time in his presence. She wondered what she had said that was amiss to cause him to frown so, but his face lost it's frown and the young man asked with a neutral look, "Is there another name I may call you by?"

Relieved that the man had not been angered by her words or did not seem angry Sakura replied, "Anything your Lordship chooses to call me by his fine."

"Hmm...how about Sakura?" the man asked. Sakura felt an upwelling of panic seize her and felt like running away. She wondered if the man had known her identity all along. If he did she wondered if he had been merely toying with her all the time, but as she saw the concerned look in his face she knew that her identity was safe. He did not know who she was. Sakura relaxed though when she heard him explaining his reasons, "This groove is full of cherry trees in full bloom and one of my favorite flowers is the cherry blossom. I believe Sakura is the name of the cherry blossom in Flora. It seems appropriate to call you that since we met here, but I shall reserve that name for I alone to call you and I will call you that only when we are alone."

She blushed as she heard the protective possessiveness in his voice and wondered at what it meant. She shyly told him, "As you wish my Lord."

He frowned at her once more before saying in a tired voice, "Please just call me Syaoran. 'My lord' is too formal and I do not need formality where it is not necessary."

Startled he would want a kitchen maid to be so informal with him a lord Sakura stared down at her homespun smock she Chiharu had given her that she was wearing underneath the fur coat and whispered, "I cannot. That is not fitting for a servant to call a Lord by his name." She knew the rules of this kingdom were much stricter about ranking than her kingdom was and she did not wish to endanger neither herself nor the kind gentleman because of something so small.

Out of the corner of her eyes Sakura saw the young lord smile playfully as he asked her in a feigned innocent voice that teased her lightly for her formality, "Well what if I order you to?"

Sakura could not help but laughing at the question that was so cunningly phrased as to brook no argument in Sakura's mind that this man would have his way, "Then I will have no choice but to obey and call you Syaoran, my Lord."

"Good! Then I order you to no longer call me 'my Lord' and call me Syaoran." The lord told her and smiled his gentle smile at her. He frowned suddenly seemingly realizing something and told her seriously, "Though do be careful when you call me Syaoran."

"Sakura knew what he meant by the warning and smiled back at him replying, "I'll be careful." Sakura looked up at the sky then and realized that she had spent much longer in the groove than she had expected. Gathering the rabbit that had hopped back onto her lap why she was talking to Syaoran in her arms she told him, "But if you will excuse me Syaoran, I must be going back to the kitchens to help prepare the midday meal and clean up."

The man nodded and Sakura stood up as carefully as she could and curtsied clumsily to him before rushing off to her tiny room and putting the rabbit in there with some lettuce for it to eat before she ran off to do her chores. She smiled to herself happy that she finally knew the young man's name was allowed, no ordered, to call him thus. "Syaoran..." she mused to herself. "That means little wolf in Fauna. Strange how he should be named thus and he is so gentle and kind and nothing like what you would expect of a wolf."

*****************************

A.N. Ok I know it's contrived for Syaoran to pick Sakura as the name to call Sakura, but it is for my convenience. I was starting to get confused as to when I should have him refer to her as what and I definitely didn't want him to call her 'Thousand Furs'. So bear with it. BTW I love long reviews and you are welcome to be as harsh as you want in the review as long as you don't flame (i.e. criticism is welcome, flames are not) or point things like grammar out. I know my grammar isn't great especially my spelling and I am trying my best to pick out whatever I can.