The Water Phoenix

Chapter 7: Life At The Camp

I woke up again when the sun was almost gone. The shadows had become long and were winking at me. I turned my head groggily. I found myself in a tent that was not the one where I was meant to be tortured. It was so rich, I suspected it wasn't the one reserved for me either. I heard some serious and low talking seeping through the tent doors.

After a while, the curtains got yanked back and Natsuhito walked in. His face was soaked in worry, but as he saw that I was awake, his face relaxed.

I tried getting up. The covers slipped to the side. I felt intensely cold. "Strange." I thought. "With the kimono I felt warm." I looked down, and realised I was only bandaged. Only a thin layer of cloth separating my bare body in front of Natsuhito. I yelped and was about to cover myself up, when an abrupt pain in my shoulder stopped me.

I winced. Not caring about the pain,
I covered myself up with my arms. "Don't you dare imagine anything." I hissed. Natsuhito shook his head. A sad smile lightly separated his lips. "I wouldn't dare." I nodded and let my arms fall to the side. "Why am I bandaged, and in which tent am I?" I asked harshly. Natsuhito sat at the edge of the bed. "My tent. And your bandaged because you had an infection to your shoulder." He said. I turned to face the shoulder where the Phoenix's sword had trespassed my skin.

"Did one of my soldiers do it?" He asked, coldly. His eyes looking at the floor. I nodded. "Don't punish him." I said quietly. Natsuhito turned his head and looked at me. I grabbed the thin cover and scrunched it up so to cover my chest. My face was soaked in pain. It was looking to the right. "I killed the poor soldier." I said.

Natsuhito's eyebrows lifted. "A newbie, and a girl, killed one of the soldiers of my special squad?" He asked. I stayed quiet. After a while of silence, I let the cover drop. After a few more minutes, I gasped, as I felt the bandage that I had on was coming undone. I tried holding it in place but the bandage started to come more undone. Natsuhito lost in his thoughts, didn't notice. As I let out one more gasp, as the cold air hit me, he turned his head. He saw my bandage coming undone and me trying desperately to keep it together.

Natsuhito got up. He walked behind me. He grabbed the bandage and did a nought again. I sighed in relief. "You didn't see anything did you?"
I hissed as he walked back to his original place. "No. Only your neck."
I sighed in relief once more.

I stayed in that tent for two more days doctors buzzed in out. After that, I got escorted by some soldiers to my tent, since Natsuhito was busy. Before entering, I thanked them and walked inside, being sure to close the tent well.
Inside it was very beautiful. There was a futon to the side, were I was supposed to sleep. A table, carved with some gold. Beautiful kimonos lined up on the left side, as well as fans, brushes, hair ornaments and so on. I smiled as I sat down on my bed.

And so my life started. Every morning, I went for a walk around. Some soldiers, I started to recognise. I waved at them and so did they.  And they chatted with me. Some other soldiers ignored me, because, either I was a women or because I was an ex Water Warrior. And the most courageous, or the most dumb, looked at me, like they would like to jump on me. I returned to my tent at midday, and sat down. Ten minutes later, my food was brought in. And then, in the afternoon, I watched the soldiers train. Sometimes I longed to be in their place. And when the sun started dipping behind the clouds, I went to a special hot spring that had been reserved for me, and took a bath.

Well, the eating in my tent didn't last that long. Since, usually, sometimes not possible, I had lunch with Natsuhito.

The first time I was a bit shocked. The cute boy that brought my food, called Akisada, informed me one day, that the Master wanted to have lunch with me. I thanked the sweet boy and walked to the familiar tent. I entered, and found Natsuhito sitting down at a mid sized table. I went to sit in front of him. Soon, food was escorted inside.

I waited for Natsuhito to start. But he wouldn't. After 30 minutes of just staring at each other's eyes, I understood that he was waiting for me to start, and he understood I was waiting for him. Natsuhito so begun to eat at the same time as me. In these times, we would sometimes exchange small talk. He would ask me about my life in the village and I would answer very simply. I didn't like to give him to much information.

Let's just say, that living in a camp where you were the only female was a bit of a problem. Sometimes, as I walked around, I had some soldiers that tried getting me in their tent.

Once when I was sleeping, wearing only a linen vest, I heard some people talking outside my tent. I quietly listened, but I couldn't make out anything. At one point, the doors of my tent got yanked open, and four soldiers flooded my tent. They tried grabbing me and brining me I don't know where, but I slipped under their grasps. I ran outside. The soldiers ran after me, now weapons in hand. It was dark, but I knew where I was going. My feet kicked some dirt in the air. My hair became disheveled. I ran to the tent I hated. Where I was forced to go almost every day.

I yanked it open and was about to scream for the owner of the tent, but one of the soldiers clasped a hand on my mouth. I tried squirming.

They laughed. Their laughter made me shiver. I tried fighting back, but they were too strong. At one point, the tent I had opened before got ripped open, and Natsuhito walked outside. He was wearing linen vest as well. Although he looked like a god. He had a katana in his hand. His eyes were terrorising. Pits of hell. The sword gleamed. "Let go of her." He said quietly. The four soldiers did as they were told. I felt them tremble. I fell to the floor. Some dirt flew around.

I started coughing and weakly got up. My wrists and ankles now had angry looking circles around them. Shaped like hands. I stumbled towards Natsuhito. He caught me. "Don't you dare come back to any of the Phoenix camps. If you do, I will know. I made you make a vow when you entered. Do not harm any women. You didn't respect it. Get out." He hissed. They all scampered away. I broke out crying. Natsuhito escorted me to my tent. I walked inside.

And didn't fall asleep.

I was awake for all the night. That happened for four nights. Because I was terrorised of that happening again. Making me collapse on the fifth day while eating lunch with Natsuhito. My face fell in the plate of rice.

I woke up in my tent. Natsuhito was reading a book next to me. My face burned with embarrassment. "Don't be." Natsuhito said, still reading. "Nothing will happen to you." I nodded and smiled.

I started sleeping well again. But the reason why those four soldiers had left; was not known. Because sometimes, when I was taking a bath, I heard talking. Two soldiers would come, pretending they were so immersed in their conversation, they didn't realise where they were going, and 'casually' they would wander near me taking a bath. At a time like this, I would lower myself in the water till my chin. But what the soldiers didn't know, was that underneath the water, I always had 3 or 4 stones. So if they came too close I would throw one.

One time I caught this guy on the foot. He got so mad, he started yelling profanities and cursing me. At one point, the guy felt someone touch his shoulder. He turned around. Clearly annoyed. "What?" He said. Behind him, he found Natsuhito. The guy fell to his knees. As Natsuhito took him away I went to my tent.

The afternoons were one of my favourite parts. I could try and learn some self defence. One day, while I was eating with Natsuhito, the memory of the four guys trying to bring me away flashed to my mind. I realised something. My eyes widened and my chopsticks escaped my hands. Natsuhito looked up. Why did I run to Natsuhito? I asked myself. Simple, an annoying voice said in my mind. You're weak and don't know how to defend yourself.

At this, I looked up. Natsuhito's coal black eyes. They were fixated on mine.
He had probably noticed I was thinking about something important.

I looked at him. My eyes flashed with determination. "Teach me how to fight. I want to be able to do all the things your soldiers can." Those words bounced around in the tent. Natsuhito smiled. "I will allow that," I felt my heart burst with joy. I thought he would put up a fight. "But, you will have to agree to a conditions."

I fell back into the darkness. I wondered what it was. My heart started beating faster in fear. I started sweating.

"That you will become my Empress as soon as I have conquered the Empire. Until then, you will be known as my fiancée."

My eyes widened.