Akagami No Shirayukihime - Obi x (OC) The Visitor

Chapter 5 - The Beginning of a Failure

It was the next morning when Obi had opened his eyes. He blinked the sunlight out his eyes that streamed through the tree leaves, the fire at his feet had been snuffed out and released a small line of smoke that rose into the air, like an uprising river. He pushed himself off the hard ground and stretched his shoulders back, trying to work his stiffened body. Looking around he noticed that Alice was already awake and she leaned against a tree, he lay behind her, so her back was to him, and he was quiet so he lay there and watched her more a moment. Her arms moved as it seemed to bring something to her face. She took a breath before the forest was surrounded in a beautiful sound. {}

What Obi couldn't see was that Alice had carved a small flute out of a hollow stick she had found and she had begun to cheerfully play. Her music was soft and serene. Bringing a feeling of tranquility around. The birds gathered in trees gathered around and accompanied her flute with their own songs from their small lungs. The wind also seemed to want in on the music as it began to blow, shuffling the leaves and moving the grass, as it also whipped her hair to and fro, that was still tied back, along her back. Obi was awe-struck.

He felt something in his chest that made him feel nervous, yet it also felt foreign. He didn't know how to feel about that feeling as it spread warmth as well as clenched in a way that gnawed at his chest. He'd only encountered this feeling a few times before in the presence of Shirayuki, but if he took all the times he felt it around his mistress and compared it to this very moment, they wouldn't even compare. This feeling, this time, this moment was far above those, even as one.

Gripping his chest he sat up and stared at her back, her shoulder blades pressed together in a beautiful stance, her arms straight and locked as her back was not slouched and she took breaths that made her entire torso rise quickly and slowly release its pent up air in slow amounts. He brought his legs together as he crossed them and studied her a small smile on his face. Her song finished and she let out a breath, she jumped the moment she heard clapping behind her.

Turning her body, she held the flute to her chest and met Obi's gaze. He finished his applause and spoke.

"Fantastic playing, I wouldn't want to wake up to anything else than a nice melody." Alice whipped her head back to her front and away from his sight. Her cheeks were tinted with a slightly pink hue. She hadn't played in front of people before, excluding her brother.

"I didn't think you were awake. I've never played in front of someone other than my brother before..." Her voice was small and filled with embarrassment. Obi thought it, dare I say, a bit cute. He thought that reaction suited her for some reason and she pushed himself off the ground with a grunt and walked over to her.

"Well, whether or not you knew, the sound would've woken me up anyways, so my hearing you was inevitable." He stretched out his hand to the girl beneath him on the forest floors and offered her a way to get on her feet. She took his hand and stood muttering.

"I guess you have a point, I hadn't even thought of that.." Alice released his hand after she got to her feet and turned to walk in a direction opposite she had been facing. Obi stood there and just stared at his hand that was still warm from her touch and was slowly returning to the coldness it was use to. He had missed her warmth already, and it made him once again confused on his own emotions and what she was doing to his head. He was brought out of his thoughts as something collided with his head. Wincing slightly he heard something hit the ground and tap his foot, looking at it he saw Alice's flute. Looking back up, he saw her a few feet off, her arms crossed and her foot tapping impatiently on the ground.

"We won't get anywhere if you just keep standing there. Zen was pretty adamant about our timing, so let's not waste time Obi." She turned her back again and walked off, he watched her retreating figure s grin on his face as he reached down and picked up her flute, stuffing it in an inside pocket of his jacket. he ran to catch up with her and then the two resumed their running and jumping through the forest.

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Eventually the two came to a small lake just beneath a cliff. It held a small waterfall, nothing grand but it held just as much beauty. The water was clear, untainted and untouched by man. It was pure. Both Alice and Obi had refilled their flasks with the water and began to climb the cliff. This was the meeting point they were told by Zen. Once at the top the two warriors sat breathless on the edge.

"That was more work than I thought it'd be..." Obi gasped between breaths.

"No kidding.." Was the only reply Alice could muster. A few minutes later, after they had gathered themselves, they heard a rustle in the foliage. Soon after a middle-aged man emerged from the bushes and met them on the bank of the upper body of flowing water that flowed down the cliff side. They exchanged greetings and they both identified themselves as the companions of Zen's and Raj's. Alice showed their proof then they exchanged the letters. She studied the envelope and then placed it in her pocket, then there was another rustle.

This sound gained both Alice and Obi's attention. Obi pulled the man behind him and stood tense, much did Alice. Their eyes were narrowed and they tried to focus on the location of the noise, but it was coming from all over, like whatever was out there, there was more than one. Then silence fell, that silence was when it happened.

Out of the corner of her eye Alice noticed a glint and instructed Obi to get on the ground, he did so and dragged the man with him. Alice turned her body and caught the object that gained her attention. A small dagger, triangular shaped and well sharpened. She glared at it then at Obi.

"We need to get him out of here, I don't need any casualties today." Obi's eyes widened at the sound of her voice. It was thick and covered in rage. He glanced at the dagger she held as red droplets came from her hand. 'She must've cut her hand as she caught it.' It was his thought as more red dropped from her hand like tear drops. Obi only nodded to her command and took the man, running back into the foliage a ways. It wasn't far, but after his ears caught sound of the sound of metal clashing, he immediately went pale. The man with the letter seemed to notice this.

"You're that girls partner correct. She must be popular, with that hair of hers, however.. you and I both know that it isn't a good thing. You need to help her sir, before something happens that you regret."

Obi eyed the man then stopped, he took his words to heart and listened to his advice. He placed the man in a safe location before the man took off towards Tanbarun to return the new letter. Obi whipped his body around and ran as fast as his legs could take him and emerged back to the river bank. His blood boiled at the sight of three men, bandits more or less, surrounding Alice.

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A/N

I'm nearly caught up with my script so far, so I dunno how quickly this udpates will come xD I've been copying my script from Docs. so there were quick updates, now I have to continue writing it.  I hope it won't take too long for updates, so that said, he is the next bit and the bit after that will be up tomorrow if I'm lucky!!