The pounding pain caused me to open my eyes. In my blurred vision I saw my sword just out of reach's distance. I had no idea where I was nor what I was doing. Clouds drowned my thoughts when an arrow skimmed past me. I snapped my head up and found myself amongst a battle. My heart pounded painfully against my chest as I heard a muffled voice cry out.
" Get up!"
Feet came into view as a man stepped in front of me. I didn't dare hesitate. I scurried for my sword and stood as fast as I could. Coming back to back, we circled around ready for who ever came at us.
" Retreat! Retreat!"
" Come on, lets go!" he demanded
Normally I wouldn't run off with some man I never knew but I couldn't risk staying here in the state I was in. So trying to give him the benefit of the doubt, I turned and ran. Tried to anyways. My head caused too much pain, I could barely even see what was two steps in front of me.
I must not have been fast enough because he turned swept me off my feet. I knew I was out of it, but this man ran faster than any creature on this planet. The trees went by so fast that there were all one big blur.
" Lord Yoshitsune,"
I began to coward into the man's chest as we walked up to a group of men. I was strong, I knew how to fight, but I was weak as a feather at the moment. Suddenly the idea of trusting him became a bad idea.
" Sohma, who is she?" My eyes landed on a man with long violet hair. An extremely handsome one at that.
" She was on the field, I couldn't have left her there alone."
I slowly began to lower myself from his arms and stood by myself. With a deep breath I gave a flick of my sword and sheathed it away. Yoshitsune looked at me and I found my breath taken away.
" Yoshitune?" I mumbled. He gave me a smile.
" I take it you've heard of my name before?" he asked kindly. I gave a wordless nod. I knew that I had been blessed and fallen into the arms of a hero.
" You seem educated, I'm assuming you're a noble. So just what is a noble doing out on a field dressed like so?"
I looked down at my outfit. My black pants were baggy but rested well at my hips due to a red sash, my shirt was black also and cropped but covered my arms with long sleeves, both trimmed in red with a red mask sitting around my neck. I knew it wasn't exactly what you'd find a noble woman to wear but I wasn't going to go gallivanting around in a dress and expect to fight well.
" I fight." I answer bluntly. " But I . . . I don't know why I'm here."
" You don't know?" Another man asked.
" Then what's your name?" Yoshitsune asked with a worried voice. I grabbed the sides of my temples and opened my mouth slowly. In my mind images of light flashed by.
" Akira . . ." I started slowly. Then I nodded firmly. " It's Akria . . . I think." I added on.
" You think? What do you mean you think?"
I glared over at the man, straight into his emerald eyes. He might have been a soldier of Yoshitsune but that didn't mean I wasn't going to back down.
" Kazemasa stop, can't you see she is startled. " Sohma spoke up as he stepped next to me. I was more agitated than anything at the moment.
" But-"
" Sohma's right, no need to scare her even more." Yoshitsune continued. Kazemasa grew quiet but the frustration was clear in his eyes.
" Perhaps something gave her amnesia."
I turned in question, watching yet another soldier walk up to me. His hand slowly reached out for me, as if testing to see if I would let him. When I held still his hand brushed through my hair. I was secretly beginning to enjoy the comfort when pain jolted at his touch. Bit my lip to hold back a whimper but I didn't stop myself from jerking away.
" She's got a bump on the back of her head. She probably fell off her horse and hit her head on the fall. Doesn't look too serious." He smiled.
" Mizuki, what are you thinking?" Yoshitsune asked as he turned and faced a silent soldier standing next to him. His eyes traced over me before flickering back to him.
" I just don't know if we can trust what she's saying."
" That's how I feel. What if she's an assassin?" Kazemasa commented. I would have disagreed but my attire did support their conclusion. Especially the mask and sword. So I stayed silent and watched Yoshitsune in anticipation.
" Sohma what do you think?"
I turned and looked up at him. He grasped my chin and focused his eyes on me. There was a moment where my body began to shake in nervousness. Just what would he say?
" I think she's fine." He finally spoke as he let go of me.
" I think the same." Yoshitsune agreed.
" Here, you can ride on the back with me." Sohma continued as he led me over to his horse. I gave him a weary look but said nothing as I hooked my foot in the stirrup and flung myself up and behind him before he had the chance to off to help. I looked over at Mizuki as we waited for the others to mount and saw him blink at me blankly. At the time I didn't make any sense of it and quickly averted my eyes. Before anything else happened Sohma gave a click of his tongue and we were off.
The mansion nearly took my breath away as we rode up to it. I was so into taking in the detail that I didn't notice that Sohma hopped off . His hands wrapped around my bare waist to help off the horse and instead I jump in surprise.
" T-that's not necessary. I can get off myself." I stutter as I keep my eyes even with the horse's mane. Sohma looked at me for a moment then smiled.
" Nonsense. Let me help you." He pushed. I groaned, which only made him smile more. There was no reason to fight against him, it looked like he wasn't one to give up. So I flung my leg over and let him grab me again. From my reaction I can assume I wasn't one to let men help me, let alone touch me.
" Sohma, sense we are at war it'll be wise for you two to share a room incase there is a night attack." Yoshitsune started as he walked up.
" Understood." Sohma answered with a nod. My heart leaped. It was one thing to stay at a mansion with them, it was another to share a room. I knew how to fight, I could protect myself even if my memory was gone.
" I think I'll be alright-"
" Akira I understand your worries. But since you've come back with us I'm responsible for you. I have to get you back home safely." Yoshitsune explained as he gently touched my shoulder. I bit the inside of my lip as I thought. He was right. He had done me a wonderful deed by taking me in, even when I could have been an assassin like how Kazemasa said, but he took that chance. The last thing I should do was not listen to his request.
" Alright."
" It will be best. She still may be a Taira assassin." Kazemasa commented as he walked up to us. I growled at him, meeting his emerald eyes with mine.
" So suspicious Kazemasa. To think a pretty girl like this could be an assassin." Goyo smiled as he pulled me into him by the shoulders. The feeling of him being so close to me made my cheeks redden, forcing me to look away.
" I'd appreciate it if you let me go." I mumbled.
" Huh . . . You sure are shy to start blushing at something as simple as this." He murmured in surprise.
" You're even more dangerous than night attacks." Sohma shot as he reached out and pulled me away and into him. I stood with my arms crossed, waiting to see who would pull me into them next. Goyo began to pout slightly.
" That makes me sound bad." He frowned.
" You make yourself look bad." I grumbled. I looked up at the sound of a snicker and could have sworn that I saw Mizuki smiling under his mask.
" We'll have your wound tended to then you can sleep." Yoshitsune continued, also with a small smirk on his lips. I apologized for everything and he only reassured me. Then I tentatively turned and followed Sohma down the hall. Sohma was a nice man, probably on of the most trustworthy men in the mansion besides Yoshitsune, but to share a room with a man I have never met was just odd for me.
I walked stiffly into the room and sat down while he searched for a kit. There was an awkward silence while we both said nothing in the dark. So I focused on the pattern of the carpet beneath me to keep my mind busy.
" Please don't be so nervous." He said as he touched my leg.
" Sorry. It's not really a thing I'm use to." I say as I reach for the leather strip that kept my hair up in a pony tail. I gave a shake of my hair and let out a sigh of relief when I felt a pair of eyes on me. I stopped what I was doing and looked over at Sohma, his eyes directly on me. I stiffened and averted my gaze.
" Ah sorry." He started. " You sure are shy. You must be unmarried, probably sheltered."
I looked down at my finger and noticed a lack of ring. I wouldn't really expect myself to wear something so delicate on my fingers. I'd be too scared that it would be ruined in a fight. Surely if I had a man that had stolen my heart I'd remember him right?
" I can't see myself married." I admitted as he gave me a pill. " What's this?"
" A pain reliever. It came from Goyo's home land. Unfortunately there isn't anything else I can really do, the swelling has to go down by itself."
I nodded and took the pill after I decided to trust him. He was one of Yoshitsune's men, I could trust him. Right?
