About Crystals and Stars (On hold)

8-3

A/N: This part is very short compared to the others. But I wasn't able to cut the chapter differently... Well, enjoy!^^

Her eyes shone, reflecting the orange of the sky, colored in an unreal shade. Her skin bathed in a warm glow. Her hand fit right into his.

With a tug he pulled her to her legs and ignored the fuzzy feelings trembling in his stomach. Shimon walked over to the fireplace to put the stand with the boar a bit to the side so it won't get burned and he would have time to suppress whatever ill feeling was distracting him. He should concentrate on his mission – their mission.

Fate was a funny thing. Five days ago he had began a journey to split the Crystal and end this war raging between Tsuchimikado and Narukami and save his little sister. On the very next day this goal had been ripped out of his reach when he had shipwrecked on an isle south of the Crystal, stranded with a stranger, a girl from Narukami who had been odd to him from the first second. Now he had just recovered from the revelation that this girl had been on a journey as well and with the same goal.

Although he did not see eye to eye with her on the method, he felt relieved about this new twist. They could continue their journey together and Shimon felt new hope at their prospects. They would succeed, either way, he was sure of it. Though he would prefer his method. Not only would he save the life of Chiiko but it would keep Mayura from the danger of going to Tsuchimikado. She would be save at the side of the Prince but even one moment of carelessness could turn the tables on them.

Also, despite all her cleverness and knowledge, the idea to convince the Lord of Tsuchimikado seemed to be very naive. Shimon knew his father wouldn't be easily persuaded but he seriously wondered how Mayura was planning to accomplish that. She was smart and should know that a girl from Narukami without prestige or wealth would not be listened to. During their earlier conversation Shimon had asked himself, if he should tell her about the marriage which his father and Seigen-dono had arranged. It might have been enough for her to know that the lords of both nations planned to unite their countries. But it would have revealed his knowledge on a secret affair of state which a simple warrior wouldn't know about. He could not afford to reveal his identity to anyone, not yet.

Turning towards Mayura again, he saw her looking at him in irritation. A delicate eyebrow risen above her big, almond shaped eyes. He figured he must have been wrapped up in his thoughts too long.

Without taking his eyes of her, he grabbed his sword and pulled it out of the sheath. He held it out for her to take hold of the handle. The blade faced the ground between them.

"You are giving me your weapon?"

"If you learn at the beginning with something that isn't a katana, it might give you a wrong edge," he explained. A mere stick wouldn't do it and he hadn't a wooden bokken lying around here.

She took the sword and looked very uncomfortable in holding it as it dangled from her hand. "I mean, you trust me with the sword?"

That's true, why indeed did he trust her with the valuable sword of the Ikaruga family? This had to be the first time a person of Narukami held this sword in their hands. To him she wasn't a Narukami person though and they were partners now. He needed her to learn to defend herself should they get in contact with soldiers on Crystal Island.

"It's fine," he said while wondering when he had started to put such resolute trust in her? Had it been when she had shared her portion of their meal when his stomach had rumbled or when she refused to leave the exhausting work to him or was it built upon the times whenever he helped her rise to her feet as she had made the skin on his hand tingle? Had it been the moment she told him about her plans on ending the war? No, he wouldn't have jumped in to her rescue if he hadn't trusted her before.