Forbidden Blue (On HOLD)

Chapter 11

I went back to the party once I'd calmed down. People felt the need to pat me on the bck and and congratulate me for beating up Dorian; it just seemed fake. When I got o the VIP area everyone was smiling and laughing and enjoying themselves but I just couldn't seem to get myself back into it.

Midori was chatting to zaana, Rownan was with Arian and I didn't want to put a damper on any of their moods so I went to Kristen, "I'm really not in the mood this anymore, do you reckon you could tell Roan and Midori for me in a few minutes?"

"Planning some elaborate escape?" he asked smiling.

"Well I was hoping I could just walk out quietly but..."

"...but if you tell Rownan there's no way he'd let you leave." he said, finishing my sentence and laughing at my grimace. "Sure I'll tell them for you once you're safely away."

"Thanks." I turned to leave.

"Oh and Shigeru, well done about before, I think you acted like a proper guardian." I smiled at him and turned towards the exit quickly, hoping he hadn't seen how fake my expression had been.

After dodging across the dancefloor I managed to escape. I looked up at the open grass bank ahead of me and seeing all of the other students on it convinced me that going through the forest would be my safest bet.

Once the music from the party had all but disappeared and the only light leading me was the moon i finally managed to relax. It felt calming walking through the trees. I knew this route would take longer; it took me out past the training grounds, however, I wanted that extra time to clear my head of all the thoughts buzzing around in it.

It was starting to trouble me how the students who were at this academy, were so morally unbalanced. They were supposed to be learning how to protect others, yet tonight had simply proved how immature and vicious a lot of them were. Surely it was wrong to be teaaching them how to potentially kill people? I sighed and shook my head.

I became aware of an unusual sound up ahead of me and paused at the edge of the trees. Looking towards the training areas I could just see the outline of a dark figure running through the sword stances in the sand. He was quick and precise, his movements graceful and deadly, although, not perfect. He kept stopping himself and then starting again from the beginning, trying to perfect his movements; it reminded me of myself. After a while he stopped, sheathing his sword and taking a drink from a flask that i had not seen lying on the ground. I was about to walk over to him when the clock struck and he began to make his way back to the school.

I wondered who this person was; I didn't know anyone who was dedicated enough to train at this hour , most people of that age were already at the party and i couldn't imagine anyone below our age that  would be able to fight at the standard he had been. When his figure disppeared into the night I carried on back to my room, glad when the door had finally been shut behind me.

I pulled my cover straight on my bed and grabbed the weapon from under it , pulling the sword carefully over my lap. The sheath was beautiful; so detailed and intricate, but the sword inside was a whole class above. I felt myself smile and i wrapped them and the shild in sheets and put them into the large leather backpack hanging on the inside of my wardrobe door. Hopefully I could avoid Rownan seeing them.

I lay on the bed , my shirt and pants already in the wash basket and thought back to the fighter that had been training before; it annoyed me that I hadn't recognised him, i thought i knew most of the swordsmen in the academy. Eventually i sighed and had to let the matter slip. Maybe it had been a teacher.

****

A loud bang awoke me and I opened my eyes to see a shocked Kristien, next to him Rownan was face down on the floor, cursing loudly. I couldn't help but laugh even in my half asleep state. I helped Kristen of them turn him over and drag him to his bed on the opposite side of the room. Once Kristien had left I turned to Rownan and couldn't help but crack a grin. "oh, shut up, my head's killing me." I laughed again, unable to not after seeing him in his drunken state.

"It'll hurt even more in the morning." I said, getting back into my own bed, he simply groaned and rolled over in reply.

The next morning I took one look at Rownan and decided not to wake him up, instead I left him a note explaining that he'd either be able to find me in the dinner hall or at the training ground when he eventually got out of bed.

There were only a few other students eating breakfast when I got to the hall. It was around eight in the morning and on a freeday most other people stayed in bed until lunchtime at the earliest, however, i liked training in the morning; I found it easier to concentrate. When I went to sit down at our table I noticed someone already sitting there and smiled at myself; this kid had got guts. I made up my mind to sit there anyway.

"You've got some balls sitting here again" I said sliding my tray opposite his and taking the matching seat. He looked up and I smiled.

"I guess." We both ate in silenc, it wasn't uncomfortable; I expected to be eating alone anyway. "You said your name was Shigeru didn't you?" I looked up in surprise.

"Erm, yeah," I replied through a mouthful of food. The corner of his mouth twitched in what I thought could have been a smile, for the briefest of moments. I swallowed, "yours is Ritsuka?" 

"Yep"

"Are you in my cycle or the one below?"

"Technically the I should be in the one below, but I managed to skip a year." he said. When I looked at his eyes, I thought hewould smile, but the expression on his face never changed.

"Wow, you must be good." He just shrugged nonchalantly.

"I hear you could be better." His tone was challenging but the smile in his eyes was still there. I laughed.

"Maybe but I never managed to skip a year." I chewed my last mouthful and looked at his plate, surpised to already find it empty; I hadn't seen him eat a single bite.

He caught my eye, "Do you usually get up this early on your freedays?"

"Yes, I find it easier to concentrate in the mornings."

"What do you concentrate on?"

"Training." I answereed simply, my hand automitically touching the leather bag once more. "What about yourself?"

"Just a bit of this and that." he replied vaguely, the non-smile back in his eyes. I wasn't completely sure how to react; this boy confused me, but I found it interesting how he could have one emotion on his face and another one in his eyes. I smiled at him and slung my bag carefully onto my back, picking up my tray at the same time that hepicked up his own. We walked to the place where we diposited them and then made our way to the large oak doors without saying a word, however, I could feel something strange about him being there next to me the entire time.

"I'm going to the training ground now." I said as a way of showing that I didn't want him following; he was friendly enough, but there was also something off-putting about him that I just couldn't put my finger on. All I knew for certain about him though, was that having him with me while I trained, wouldn't help me at all.

The eye smile of his returned for a few moments and then went out of view as he bowed to me and i bowed in return. "See you around Shigeru" he said and then walked away leaving me to ouzzle over his strangeness until I remembered what I was supposed to be doing and began to make my way down to the training area.

When I had dumped the bag onto the sand I realised that I was in the same place that the strange swordsman had been trainging the night before. I laughed at myself for a moment, realising how dense I had been, not to think of Ritsuka as the mysterious man; I already knew he was in Rownan's classes and I had never seen him fight before, but knew he had a reputation for being a good fighter.

Glad that the mystery was solved I unwrapped the sheild from the cloth, but left the sword in my bag.

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Right, I know i'm still on holiday, but i have written this and when i saw this computer I simply had to upload it =)...I hope you all like it, i know its been a ridiculously long wait...but Ritsuka and Shigeru have finally had some time together here so i hope you enjoyed that =P....

I won't be uploading again for at least a week now cs i am still away and this was a specialised one off for my holiday =P....

Vote, Comment and enjoyyyy!!