Daybreak

Twenty-Three - Saihi

The moon was bright but Saihi found that the forest which gladly accepted him on his twenty-first birthday, now twisted and turned like a maze. Every step he took was in the dark, and before he knew it, he found himself completely lost.

"What is this!?" Saihi exclaimed, and in his frustration, kicked a tree. "Ow!" Then he cursed because he'd stubbed his toe and kicked the tree again.

"Ow!" There was a movement of someone falling before him in the darkness. A soft thud as they landed on the moss hewn floor.

Saihi froze.

That was not a tree.

"Who's there?"

It was silent, so Saihi nervously stood and clenched his jaw from the throbbing pain in his big toe. In the darkness, the fallen figure stirred.

"Where are we?" demanded a familiar voice.

Saihi squinted. "Kenta...?" Then he was smiling as he blindly reached forward to help his friend back up. "You came," the prince's heart swelled with happiness.

"We happened to be running in the same direction," corrected the samurai. "You were running off to do who knows what and I was following Goldie."

"Much the same thing," said Saihi. "I am also looking for a bird."

Kenta scoffed, but remained otherwise silent. Saihi could hear the soft disturbance of the earthen floor and guessed that Kenta might be pacing somewhere beside him. However, it was too dark to make out their surroundings.

"I think we should stick together," said the prince.

"Obviously." Saihi guessed Kenta had rolled his eyes. "Alright, let's head towards our left. I think that way may lead us to our path home."

Saihi raised a brow. "Home? No, no. I'm still looking for the bird."

"Your highness, in this weather Goldie is lost to us forever."

Saihi shook his head although Kenta could not see him. "I'm not looking for Goldie."

Silence penetrated the air.

"What?" Saihi scoffed before Kenta could come up with a reply. "You let me leave the palace, didn't you?"

"I-"

"Then how about you?" interrupted Saihi. "Are you so willing to let Goldie go? That conversation we had, remember? You wanted a crew. And the bird you felt was like your own, flew away. Am I right?"

Kenta sighed. "Your point is?"

Saihi clenched his fists tight and grinned with finality in the dark. "I've found the thing I want, Kenta. More than an eye-patch." The prince reached over and felt for his bodyguard's hand before taking it into his. It was rough and sharp-edged like a swordsmans'. "I found a mystery. And it's hidden in this forest," he breathed. "Kenta, I believe what I've found, is a curse."

There was a soft sigh before Kenta said, "fine." Then he added, "but I'm staying with you."

"Obviously," Saihi smirked as he rolled his eyes in fake exasperation like how he assumed Kenta had done before.

Saihi felt something tickling his arm before finding its way down to his hand.

"What-"

"We have to hold hands or we risk losing each other," said Kenta from beside him. "Don't you think?"

"Your hand is much bigger," sulked Saihi. "I feel like a kid." But the prince began to walk, and his knight followed. Saihi didn't know where he was headed, of course, but he hoped it led deeper into the forest and not out.