Home Again

Chapter One

   Cat stepped on the dock and looked around her. The evening wind ran its fingers through her hair and kissed her cheek. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply through her nose and smile played at her lips. Botan came up next to her and laid a hand on her hip. Where did you go?
   "Almost home," she replied opening her eyes and looking back up at him. "Almost home."
   "This is not your village," he asked confused.
   She giggled and shook her head. "Not exactly, but close enough. Home is a two days ride that way." She pointed then frowned. "No...tha-" She lowered her hand and her eyebrows came closer together. She touched her fingers to her lips. Botan rubbed her shoulder gently. Her eyes seemed to search everything and nothing all at the same time.
   The captain came scurrying up. "Ah can lead ya back. Take ya to the castle. I's not as far as ya think."
   Cat nodded but paid the man no other mind. Ah don't remember.
   You've been gone for some time. Forgetting can happen.
   Botan was right, Cat knew. But it didn't make her feel any easier. This was her home. Sure they didn't come to the small merchant harbor often, but it surely it had been enough to know where to go. In another life.
   Cat blinked back the tears and nodded. "Lead us."
   "Ah'll find us an escort," the captain said bowing over and over.
   Botan gave him a look. "You do not know."
   "Well ah didn't say that," the man stuttered over his words. "Ah do most of my work on sea, ya see and-"
   Botan rolled his eyes and raised a hand to silence him. Immediately his eyes went to Cat as she pulled away from his grasp. She was just walking forward. "Cata?"
   A whisp. A whisp is all ah need. And ah'll be home. She thought to herself. She closed her eyes and begged the gods for one, but when she opened her eyes there was just a drunken sailor taking a piss. She inhaled through her nose and immediately regretted it. The smell of human was everywhere. She needed forest, clean air. No humans, just nature and animals and-Mae, Kawa, the hut, home. No. She couldn't think about them now. She was home. She had a duty to her people. At least Botan had convinced her she did. But he always had a duty to his. When they left, the village was on the brink of a civil war the emperor had created. And though the war wouldn't come anywhere near them, there was still the possibility. Now Botan, their strongest warrior was on the other side of the world, for all he and Cat knew. He was by her side. Instead of...
   Cat growled and turned around back to the men. "Ah can't think with all this-"
   The man that stood before her was a monster. Tall and broad, his skin covered in scars. He was shirtless and had a mace in one hand, and Cat's braid in the other. The man wasn't her beloved...it was the rud.
   Her eyes immediately flashed red and she let out a growled hiss that made her sound beyond wild. She ran her shoulder into the rud's chest. Due to her lack of human blood, she was weaker than normal. But I'm strong enough for this. Her thoughts growled in her head.
   "Cata!" She heard him calling. "Cataina!"
   "Princess! Princess where are you!"
   "Ghosts," she whispered under her breath as she laid the rud out on the ground.
   "Cata!"
   "Ghosts," she said again as she stood and shook her head then turned and began to run. She knocked into a woman who called her something. Another man, another fowl name. More people. She just wanted air. She just needed to breath.
   "Where ya think yer goin' lass?" Said a man that grabbed her by the shoulder.
   Cat looked up. It was the rud again.
   "Unhand me ya shit! Let me go!" She hissed and clawed at his face, kicked at his legs.
   "Cata!" The growl that ripped through her love's chest seemed to shake the whole dock. That growl is what she needed.
   Cat looked up and saw the cheek that she had ripped open was not mud brown, but in fact, pale white. The helm on his head was not a nasty mated and dirt filled black, but shiny with a red sash that ran from the center to the small of his back. His legs where not bare, but armored as was his his chest. But what was in the middle of the chest is what made her heart beat to life, even if it didn't.
   "You know me," she gasped out breathlessly. "You-"
   "Let go!" Botan roared from behind her.
   "Botan no! He's guard of my house! Don'-"
   But the damage she had caused was already done. Botan was already reaching for his katana at his hip. Cat knew what would happen if he was able to pull it out. She couldn't let that happen. The gold in his eyes were so intense she would have thought he had stolen sunlight. She used all her might to yank her self free of the guard. The top of her kimono ripped clean of and fell, exposing her shoulder beneath. She ran to Botan and grabbed ahold of him. "Don't," she said again and this time she was able to get the full word out. "Botan wa shinaide kudasai, onegaishimasu."
   Botan froze at her touch and her words and wrapped an arm around her waist growling at the guard and pulling her close.
   "What's all this then?" The guard demanded, the claw marks on his cheek already gone.
   "I am Caitlin, daughter of Ailill and Clodagh, Rí agus Banríon an tí Ó Catháin." Cat said looking up at the man.
   He looked down at her for a moment and began laughing. Both Botan and Cat frowned. "An banphrionsa?" He laughed harder, almost doubling over. "Yer telling me that you are the long lost and mind you dead princess that was lost at sea near two years ago? Tha's rich. Tha's real rich. And might ah add, a new one."
   "Look me in the eyes then and tell me ah'm not." Cat replied straightening up and locking her gaze on him.
   His laughter slowly died down as he looked at her and swallowed.
   "Do ya believe me know?" She demanded. Ah almost miss havin' water splashed over my head. She told Botan. His snort filled her head in response.
   "Fffergive me, lass. Ah never met an banphrionsa m'self. Ah've only heard stories." The guard admitted.
   "Take me to the castle, then, and let the Rí agus Banríon decide if ah am for themselves." Cat replied.
   The guard swallowed harder and looked around then nodded with a sigh looking back at her. "Do ya have horses?"
   "We have coin for them." Cat replied.
   "Not my coin, ah hope." The captain added with a snorted chuckle. Cat glared over at him and he fell silent.

   They were able to buy the horses with no extra trouble at the stables the guard had left his own gelding at. Cat had almost forgotten how to ride it had been so long. Botan looked unsure about it but was riding better than she was. She smiled gently and reached out and took his hand.
   The sooner we are at your village, the happier I'll be, my queen. Botan told her, squeezing her hand.
   Cat gently squeezed his back. No one ever said this was going to be an easy journey.
   He simply gave her a look.
   Cat chuckled gently and looked back forward.