Ronin Warriors Fan Fiction ❯ Auguries of Innocence ❯ Chapter Four ( Chapter 4 )
(Author's Notes: Thanks for the reviews! *grins* Shadow of Arashi, I will give you your Seiji next chapter. *humbly bows* I swear it will be so. Also, several more characters will be introduced in the chapter after this, and some things will be explained. *grins* This chapter was basically just Shin and Shuu interacting. Anyway, enjoy! ~Cinaed)
Auguries of Innocence
Chapter Four
Shin awoke slowly; the first thing he was aware of was the fact that he was in one of those torture devices which his enemies called beds. Which was why his back was hurting so much…. As his memory came flooding back in a swarm of images that would have been dizzying if he hadn't been laying down, the Xiongnu slowly opened his eyes at gaze into clear, concerned blue, the former realizing that the bed wasn't the main reason for the pain of his back.
"Are you fine now?" was inquired, the common soldier's tone only slightly sarcastic.
The Xiongnu glared in response, wincing as he struggled to sit up. Instantly, Shuu repositioned a pillow behind him so that he could sit comfortably. Ignoring the unusual gesture, Shin glared at one of the men who had captured him. "Where's Touma? Is he all right?" As much as the other man had been useless and obnoxious, he, judging by the rants from the now dead overseer, had been forced through unpleasant things much like Shin had, and perhaps even worse things.
"He's fine. You were the one more seriously injured. The healers had to give you many herbs while you were sleeping to make sure you'd be all right."
"The idiot threw me against a wall. I think I'll be fine," Shin retorted, refusing to admit that his entire back and most of his stomach felt like one big bruise and that the back of his head was throbbing slightly even as he spoke. His eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What sort of herbs?"
"Curcuma, Drynaria, and a Tieh Ta formula," Shuu informed him. "They help heal bruises and strengthen you after you've lost blood."
The Xiongnu bit back a sharp retort that the herbs his foes used were pure nonsense, and instead glanced around. "Where am I?" The large room was unfamiliar, with several more of the torturous devices called beds.
"You are in the palace's infirmary. You've been unconscious for nearly half the day." Shuu offered him a small cup, looking serious. "Here, have some tea. You're going to need all your strength if you're going to eat by the emperor during his meal."
"If I'm going to eat by the emperor?" Shin repeated, his tone incredulous even as he accepted the cup with nerveless fingers. Gulping the liquid down and resisting the urge to gag at the taste, he scowled, demanding a clearer explanation from the other man.
"Touma-the concubine-told our Mighty Emperor that you tried to protect him. The emperor has decided to allow you the honor of sitting beside Touma, who sits beside him, for tonight as he decides what your role at the palace will be." Shuu's tone was emotionless, matter-of-fact, as he relayed that information. He paused. "Between you and me, things will go much better for you now that you've helped T-the concubine-because the emperor apparently…favors him." At that point, the soldier's tone became almost strained, becoming emotional despite the man's efforts to remain dispassionate.
Despite the growing curiosity in the pit of his stomach about the soldier's odd attitude, the Xiongnu was still suspicious of the other man. There were many things Shuu Rei Fuan wasn't telling him, and Shin Mouri didn't like being left out. "Well, tell your precious and mighty emperor that I'm not going to eat with him."
An expression of shock flitted across the other man's face. "What?"
Shin lifted his head proudly, defiance obvious in his clear green gaze. "You heard me. Tell him I'm not going to eat with my enemy."
"Even if you did save T-the concubine-don't think that makes you the emperor's best friend!" Shuu snapped, a scowl replacing the shock. "Do you really want your head lopped off?"
That irate question formed quite an unpleasant image in the Xiongnu's head, gory enough to make the youth blanch and glance away from those hard, unyielding blue eyes. "I-I am n-not afraid of death," he declared, but his fumble for the words revealed his lie.
The common soldier raised an eyebrow, knowing full well the younger man was lying through his teeth. "Are you now? Then I must say that I think you're insane. Anyone who isn't afraid of death is."
Shin knew he was caught in the middle of his falsehood, but hubris forced him to not admit it out loud. So he continued to lift his head proudly, attempting to maintain his defiance. "I don't care what you think of me. You're just one of my enemies."
"Well, if you do refuse to sit by the emperor, my opinion really won't matter anyway. What are opinions to a dead man?" Shuu's tone was deceptively impassive, not revealing the fact that the soldier didn't want the Xiongnu to die over such a trivial matter. His keen gaze saw the hard swallow that the auburn-haired youth yielded before Shin replied, his voice quiet.
"I don't want to sit as an honored guest in the midst of my enemies."
"Well, if you /want/ to live, you'll push those feelings aside for a few hours and sit as an honored guest. Hell, pretend that you've poisoned everyone's meal and that as soon as you leave the room after the meal we'll all start contorting and dying on the floor." The soldier's tone was extremely sarcastic, and Shin flushed a dark red, the color a mixture of embarrassment and anger. Not giving the Xiongnu any time to respond, Shuu folded his arms against his chest and continued, "I'm to escort you to T-the concubine's-quarters where he'll have an outfit ready for you."
"Why don't you just call him Touma?" The Xiongnu couldn't help but ask, for Shuu kept blundering between calling Touma by his name and his title as the concubine.
The blue-haired soldier's face twisted into a look of almost pain and this time it was Shuu's turn to glance away from those questioning, thoughtful green eyes. "T-that's none of your business," he said at last, tone brusque. After a moment, however, he sighed, and added, his eyes not quite meeting the other man's, "Besides, he is of higher rank than I. I'm not allowed to call him by his name."
"Well, if I'm scum in everyone's eyes, then why is Touma letting me talk to him without using a title?" Shin pointed out, his tone sardonic. "I hardly think I'm higher ranked than you, whether I protected the emperor's concubine or not."
"Why did you?"
"Why did I save him?" Shuu nodded, the expression on his face so intense that Shin found himself hoping that his response would soothe the other man. "Well, he was an innocent. And he wasn't /exactly/ my enemy. After all, he had just brought me food, which is basically offering me life. True enough that he thought I was a little barbaric, but I would think the same of him if I saw him, or you, or anyone in this horrible land, eat. So I had no reason to let a man who couldn't defend himself be killed by a drunken fool when I could have prevented the death."
Shuu nodded once and then unfolded his arms, the intense look fading until he was expressionless once more. "I'm to escort you to the concubine's rooms so that he can help you dress properly for the meal. Do you need help getting up?"
"No," Shin said automatically as he threw away the blankets and attempted to stand, wobbling and nearly sinking back onto the bed as dizziness overcame him. He ignored Shuu's steadying hand and took a deep breath, trying to clear his head. After a moment, the dizziness passed, and the Xiongnu shrugged away the soldier's arm. "Fine, if Touma wants to dress me up, he can by all means." His tone was only slightly sarcastic, and Shuu ignored the tone.
"Follow me then," he said, and proceeded to walk from the infirmary.
Shin hesitated for a brief moment, his green gaze flickering around the room suspiciously before he followed the other man, fighting back the urge to limp as his injuries protested. He had a feeling he didn't want to know what outfit Touma had planned for him….
(To be continued….)