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Azuhara rested with her back against the tree, her falchion nestled in the earth next to her. Her clear, crystalline eyes shimmered as they drifted from the flames of the fire to the mountains beyond. The wind swept against them and then went quiet again. Then, her eyes would trail to the forms that slept around her. To one side of the fire, Luna was tucked away in a blanket, sound asleep. The sound of her light snoring made Azuhara laugh to herself. She looked to her right and saw that Alehnof had his head resting in the crook of his arm and his eyes were closed, grinning in his sleep. She looked to a tree a little farther away and she saw Cuban. The loner... she thought with a chuckle. He was sitting up, but his head had fallen to his chest as he snored.
The night drew on and she began to let the events of the day roll through her head. They had gotten separated from the others; Myth, Adrian, Usaga and Xephuiqs.
Her hand went to the hilt of her falchion as it trailed the cold, damp steel with tender care and frustration. What could have happened to them? She was never one for worry, but she feared what might have occured and what was yet to occur to her friends that seemed forever away and to her own group. She felt alone, but she wasn't. She felt weak, but her friends were looking to her to be strong. She cringed at the thought of such a burden. Her limbs felt heavy and sore under the weight of her armor and she was tired and thirsty. Her throat was dangerously dry, she had dreams of overwhelming darkness and she could not distinguish them between reality and dreams... her body was beginning to give out. Finally, her fatigue had caught up with her and her body was screaming at her for sleep, but she still fought to keep herself awake. She had barely begun to slip into a dream when a gentle voice snapped her out of it.
"Sister?"
Luna was looking at her with worried eyes.
Everything went quiet.
"Luna," Azuhara said softly, "you should be sleeping." Luna got up slowly, careful not to wake Alehnof or Cuban and looked her sister over with the eyes of a child that would melt any heart with such care and kindness.
"You're worrying me, sister," whispered Luna as she sat in front of her.
"I'm just tired," she said a bit sharply, turning away.
"How come you never sleep?"
"I do," she said, "I just stay awake to watch over you three."
"We need to take turns."
"I agree, but you three need more sleep."
Luna sat very still, looking at her for a long time, waiting to see what could really have been bothering her.
"Sis, you won't be able to survive if you don't sleep."
"None of us might survive if I sleep," answered Azuhara.
"That may be so," Luna stuttered, blinking, "but you still need sleep. What are you afraid of, sister?"
Azuhara went deadly quiet. Luna looked at her. She could tell she struck a nerve. "What is it, sister?"
"The others," she said softly. Luna nodded.
"Do you fear for them, sister?"
Azuhara nodded.
"I fear for them too," said Luna, "but I know we will find them."
Azuhara smiled warmly as Luna went back to her spot near the fire and covered up in her blanket again and was fast asleep. Her eyes went to the skies again and there were twice as many stars. She smiled to herself, resting her hands on her knees. She knew that, in her heart, her friends were watching the same stars.
"I promise," she whispered, "I promise we will find eachother again..."
You're right Luna... I know we'll find them...
She let her head fall and her eyes drifted shut and for the first time in a while, she slipped into a deep, peaceful sleep.
 Tsuki Akemi · Sat Aug 01, 2009 @ 03:11pm · 1 Comments |
