AN: This is the end…Hope you all like it! I'll save my comments for the end…
Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne…in fact; he doesn't even make an appearance in this story…LOL
Chapter Fourteen: Resolution
Days passed in bitter coldness when one of General Lark's spies returned with information everyone had been eagerly waiting to hear. Lazar was leaving for Zaibach with Hitomi. They had departed from the village at midnight with thirty men and several large covered wagons. A spy was following Lazar's trail from a distance, informing the General of Lazar's movements.
Lazar's caravan had four horse drawn wagons, all covered and identical in size and shape, twelve men on horseback, and eighteen armed footmen. General Lark's force was equal in number of men; however, they possessed no horses, putting them at a severe disadvantage. At this, Van volunteered a plan involving Komali's skills. Everyone was wary of the Dragonbird, having viewed him only once and very briefly. The General had insisted on the trustworthiness of his men and the fact that Komali allowed himself to be seen by the company greatly increased Van's confidence in exposing his own secret. Eventually, the General and Van constructed a plan which seemed well enough to ensure their success.
Komali would be charged with scaring away the fighters on horseback and finding the carriage which contained Hitomi. During the confusion of frightened horses running away, the General and his soldiers would attack from the trees. Van would ride upon the Dragonbird's back and ensure that Hitomi escapes with Komali. Once Hitomi was safely away, Van would fly away from the battle, luring as many of the Hunters as possible. Van would keep up the chase until Komali returned to take Van from the sky, without allowing the Hunters to see. By the time the Hunters realize their pray had vanished, the battle at the caravan would long be over.
The plan was agreed upon by all, and now everyone lay in wait for Lazar's caravan to move into position. Van circled the area with Komali, waiting until it was time…
The caravan followed a small, rarely used snow covered trail, with thick woods on either side. The snow had stopped falling an hour before but the wagons were having difficulty in the newly fallen snow. Everyone was cold and kept thier cloaks tightly wrapped around thier bodies...
There came a shrill cry from above, so sharp and fierce that it pierced every heart with a moment of fear. A terrible shadow shot from the sky and crushed the middle wagon with its impact. All the horses screamed in terror and bolted, dragging their burden's with them. The two horses tethered to the mangled cart broke free of their restraints and fled into the night. Some of Lazar's company managed to subdue their mounts and return to the party which traveled on foot, but by the time they returned, dozens of smaller shadows detached themselves from the forest and swamped over the caravan, engaging the surprised men in sudden combat.
Lazar drew his sword and spurred his horse into action. "IT'S AN AMBUSH!!! STAND YOUR GROUND!!! PROTECT THE CARGO!!!" Lazar first raced to the destroyed cart, lifting the covering to check inside. There was nothing. Cursing aloud, he scanned the skies and spotted a pair of white wings fleeing towards the east. He tried to call all his men into action to follow, but the confusion of the battle drowned out most of his words. Instead, he gathered the three men who were still on horseback, ordering one to remain behind to coordinate the battle while the other two would join Lazar to recapture the Draconian. The orders were followed swiftly as the three Hunters raced east, into the forest.
Lazar lead the chase for over a mile before they spotted the white wings again, flashing brilliantly in between trees. The Hunters followed madly, weaving in and out of trees and crashing through mounds of snow, laughing and jeering. Air escaped their mouth in great wispy clouds. Their mounts exhausted themselves quickly but they were driven on with each new glimpse of the white wings. Suddenly the trees ended and the Draconian was in plain sight. Realizing the danger, the wings beat even more furiously to gain altitude, but Lazar was determined not to lose this chance. Ordering his fellow Hunters to follow his example, Lazar pulled his bow from behind him and secured an arrow. As one, three blades shot into the sky. One missed. Another grazed the Draconian's shirt, turning it red. The third buried itself in the left wing. Lazar cursed at such bad luck but rejoiced as the Draconian fell from the sky into a mound of snow
The three Hunters celebrated aloud as they stopped their chase and dismounted. Laughing, they all gathered lengths of rope and approached the fallen demon. With a sudden gust of wind, a wave of feathers flew past.
"She's not going anywhere!" Lazar said with mirth but froze when he heard the unsheathing of a blade. All three Hunters halted their approach and drew their own swords as an armed figure rose from the grounds, revealing dark hair and eyes wild with anger. Lazar gasped in recognition.
"Ren?"
"My name is not Ren. It is Van Fanel."
"Fanel? You are a son of Fanelia? Ha! You are very foolish indeed if you think you can steal my Draconian away. Once I reclaim the girl, I'll have two Draconians! And I think many countries would be willing to pay a good deal of money to learn that the Fanelian royal family is tainted with Draconian blood. Now be a good little boy and put the sword down. I have another little bird to catch."
Van held his sword before him, ready to strike. "Hitomi is safe now. And for what you have done, you will not live to see the sun rise."
"Stupid child…"
Van struck at the nearest Hunter who was waiting for him. They exchanged several quick blows before Van shoved the man off balance with his shoulder. Before Van could strike the man down, the other Hunter engaged him. Though the two Hunters were less skilled with the sword, Van was kept busy trying to fight them both off, never able to escape long enough to fight Lazar. Meanwhile, Lazar stood back, pulling two small items from his pack; a tube and a poisoned dart. He took his time, knowing the Hunters knew better than to mortally wound such a valuable find. When he was ready, Lazar put the tube to his lips and waited for an opening.
Just as he was about to let the dart fly, a scream from above, identical to the one he had heard earlier, froze his actions. He turned and looked up in time to see the fury of Hell raging down upon him in the form of a great eagle…
Van rode upon Komali's back all the way to camp. As they spiraled down to a clearing, a figure separated from the fires and jogged towards the landing Dragonbird.
"There you are! For a moment we thought you were lost. Are you injured?"
"It takes more than that to get rid of me, General Lark." Van smiled gratefully at the Dragonbird before Komali leapt up and returned to the sky, leaving Van and the General alone. Together, they walked back into the camp and the welcoming firelight.
"I'm assuming Lazar was one of the three hunters that followed after you."
"Yes. Komali killed them."
General Lark failed to suppress a shiver. "Never upset a Dragonbird."
Van solemnly agreed and tried to shove away his witness of Komali's fury unleashed against the three Hunters. The General continued on.
"Ten of the Hunters are dead. Seven surrendered during the fight. The rest fled before the battle even began. The Hunters we captured are bound over there and will be taken back to Daken to be judged."
Smiling faces and strong handshakes greeted Van. Many wore slings and bandages. Several were already asleep beside fires. "How many did we lose?"
The General raised his chin. "None."
Van stopped. "None? How is that possible? We didn't lose a single person?"
"I brought the very best of my fighters. They would be shamed to allow themselves to be killed! Everyone received wounds, of course, and a few people fainted due to loss of blood, but no lives were lost on our side. Fortune smiles down upon us tonight. Besides, Hitomi would not want blood to be shed on her behalf. This will be of great comfort." General Lark pointed ahead. "She is waiting for you over there."
Van held out his hand to the General who took it firmly. "Thank you for all you've done."
"You are very welcome, Lord Van."
Hitomi sat silhouetted against the fire with a blanket wrapped around her. With a stick, she absentmindedly poked the burning logs, sending sparks into the air. Minutes passed and Van remained where he stood, a mere arms length behind her.
Almost a year and a half had passed since they last saw each other, except for that night a few days ago. An eternity it seemed when their only means of connection were letters which took several weeks to receive. Now, she sat before him, peaceful, serene, and within reach. Van made a silent vow to never leave her, to never allow them to be separated, and to always protect her. They would be together forever.
When he was ready, he whispered her name aloud. Hitomi leapt up, as if stung, and whirled around, dropping the blanket on the ground. But she spun too fast and fell down again. Van laughed. He could protect her from enemies, but not from her own clumsiness! She looked up at him, eyes swimming in shock, joy, and amusement. He sat down upon his knees, took both her hands in his, and kissed them.
"I promised I'd come back for you."
The next morning, as the camp made ready to disembark, Van noticed Hitomi growing anxious, but he said nothing. Later, when Van was going to get something for them to eat, Hitomi refused to release his arm.
"Don't leave." She mumbled.
"I'm just getting some food…"
"I'm not hungry. Just sit with me, please. Just a little longer."
"Hitomi, what's wrong?"
She hesitated before answering. "Everyone's getting ready to leave. It's too fast. Everything's happening too fast. We're finally together again and I'm not ready to say goodbye. I know you're not going to Daken…"
Van relaxed, realizing where her worries were comming from. Before, Van wasn't allowed to go to Daken, and with everyone preparing to return there, Hitomi thought Van was leaving too. "Is that what's bothering you? Hitomi, we're not going to Daken."
"But I heard General Lark say…"
"I hear someone talking about me." The General appeared from behind. Van and Hitomi stood together. "We're ready to go, Lord Van. It's time we headed home." He shook hands with Van one last time. "It has been a pleasure. If you ever have need of a friend, call on me."
"Thank you. Good luck."
The General turned to Hitomi. "My Lady, I have been honored to fight for you and beside you. You have done more for my country than you can ever know. You have my sincere thanks."
"I'm not going with you?"
"No, you're staying here. Didn't Van tell you?"
"But, I thought...what about the Watchmen?"
"The Flying Watchmen have been doing just fine, and they will continue to do so. It is all because of you, Lady Hitomi. You've taught them well. Your job is finished." He gave her a moment to let his words sink in, and when she seemed to accept them, General Lark bowed. "Take care of yourself, Lady Hitomi."
Hitomi threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. "Same goes for you." The General looked over at Van, a question in his eyes, but he received only a shrug.
When everyone in the company said their goodbyes and finally set off, Hitomi let out a great sigh.
"I can't believe…just like that, it's all over."
Van felt a great gust of wind as Komali landed heavily behind them.
"It's time we left too." Van took Hitomi's hand in his own.
"Van, where are we going?"
He looked over his shoulder with a smile. "We are going home. Together."
There was a great celebration in Fanelia when Van returned from his journeyings abroad, though the arrival of Hitomi was celebrated only by those few who knew of her capture. No one seemed to notice that their prince appeared in the middle of the night without alerting anyone until it was formally announced by the royal family. A few recognized Hitomi as the "glider girl" from many months before and whispers about the girl spread like wildfire. Wherever Van was, she was not far behind. People wondered who she was. Where did she come from? There were only a couple of people who could say with some surety where she was from, but even they could not account for her whereabouts in the past year. A great deal of the girl's identity was shrouded in mystery. This was, of course, for her protection. Zaibach still didn't know the name of the person who aided Daken in building the gliders, and both Daken and Fanelia were determined to keep it that way.
Hitomi decided that her grandmother's house was too big for her to live there alone anymore, so she sold it and the barn shed, after removing all evidence of her glider being built there, and moved into the palace. Van had been insisting that she live in the palace and she agreed on the condition that her room had to be near the staircase that lead to the roof, so Komali could have easy access.
A few months later, all of Fanelia celebrated the marriage between Folken and Princess Naria of a country across the eastern mountains. Three couples began the grand ball with a waltz; Folken and his new bride, King Goau and Queen Varie, Van and Hitomi. Seeing this last couple together made most believe that Van felt romantic towards the girl. Upon seeing a private moment between the two of them on the balcony later that night only solidified previous beliefs into fact.
…
One day, a letter arrived for King Goau from Daken, informing Fanelia that Zaibach had agreed to accept Daken as a separate and free country and would cease hostilities against them. Goau read the letter aloud to Varie, Folken, and Van. His wife and eldest son had been playing a game while Van stood and watched when Goau announced the good news.
Varie was the first to speak. "Hitomi will want to hear this. She'll be so happy."
Folken nodded in agreement. "Van, go get your wife and bring her here."
Van's face warmed. "Sh-She's not my wife!"
"Yes she is." Folken said without missing a beat.
"Well I don't remember getting married!"
"Sure you do, it was almost two years ago, but surely your memory isn't that bad."
"Folken, stop playing games with your brother." Varie lightly chastised. Still, she carried a smile that filled Van with caution.
"What's going on?"
Folken turned from his game to face his brother. "Two years ago, you took Hitomi to the cliff overlooking the Dragon Lands, remember?"
"Yes, I remem-"
"And you two exchanged feathers, right?" Folken continued his game by moving a piece on the board backwards. "She has one of your feathers and you have one of hers."
"Yes…"
Varie retaliated, ignoring Folken's words, and shifted one of her own pieces.
"Exchanging feathers is a traditional Draconian wedding ceremony. Instead of exchanging rings, you exchange feathers. Though it may not be recognized by our allies, you and Hitomi have been married for two years now."
Van looked from his brother to his mother and back again. Both were avoiding his gaze, but smiling to themselves as they continued their game. Folken moved one piece forward, declared victory against Varie, and walked towards Van. He gripped his shoulder tightly before passing by.
"Congratulations."
THE END…
AN: HA HA!!!! I like that last part! It's my favorite!!!! Hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did. Though, I must admit, I think the rest of the chapter was a bit choppy, but I just needed to end this story quickly!!! I've made you all wait long enough, I think. But I will miss Komali! I drew a picture of him I'm rather fond of, so I'm sad to not be able to write about him anymore.
Thank you to all my fans who've been reading this story since the beginning. I've greatly enjoyed this story and sharing it with all of you. thanks for your reviews and chastisements when I take to long to post! LOL…there's nothing so wonderful to hear of an attempt on my life if I don't post a chapter quickly!!!!
So, as this story comes to a close, I will tell all of you that I'm already working on another story, and I'm hoping to start, AND FINISH it this summer! I don't intend for this story to last for years, because once school starts again, I won't have time to write. So, if you're interested, keep an eye out for a story called "The Triad." It will be similar themed to my other story, "The Second Atlantis Machine" but much better. Gosh, I wrote that story so long ago, I'm ashamed to read the first half of that story. I love the second half though! It's still fun to read!!
Okay, I'm ranting now…If you've never reviewed for this story before, please do so now that it's over, and tell me what you've thought about the story, or any improvements I could make (besides the obvious choppiness…gomen).
Thank you Everyone!!!!
Yugismpuzzle
My son, Harry is graduating in two weeks!!!! Love you!!!!! See you this Saturday!!!!! I'll be taking lots of pictures…