The Black Cat

Chapter 40 Pants

I huddled in the corner of the room and grasped my cold toes. The purple power still lingered on me, the annoying powder. I angrily scratched at my skin, but the powered did nothing, but smear.

"It does no good to bother the mixture Mistress Erilye."

I glared up at young solider in front of me. "Mistress? Am I old?"

"N-No ma'am, I was just-," the soldier held his helmet tightly in his hand and bowed. "I apologize for my ignorance, ma'am."

I stood up and pulled the coat arms back to my elbows and sighed. That was the first times the soldiers spoke to me since I first saw them, that was almost an hour ago. None of them, however, would even look at me since. The young soldier was the first look back and even then he had a certain sense about him.

The soldier even turned back around too quickly for a logical reason.

"Is there a reason why you all won't look at me?"

All of them tensed up and bowed toward me. "We apologize," they all quickly uttered in unison.

Even then none of them would looked up at me. "Hey! Look at me. Is there a problem?"

All of them instantly straightened and averted their eyes from me.

The young one spoke in a rushing and unsteady voice, "Miss Erilye, the problem is that we are not comfortable near you. You see," he met my eyes. "We are all young men, honorable knights, that...that are alone with a beautiful young woman. I trust you know what soldiers of war do...right?"

I scrunched up my nose. "What do you do?"

All of them seemed to chuckle among themselves.

"Well um," the young soldier held his bronze helmet tightly. "Well, you are barely dressed."

I looked down at the thin dress and somewhat tried to understand. "You don't like the clothes I wear?"

"N-N-No! No, I mean yes!" The young sir turned to the friends that fell back in their guarding order. "Help me," he hissed.

I crossed my arms and approached a boarded up window. Was he being rude? I stared down one of the thin cracks and only saw a flood of orange and black.

"Well if you don't like what I'm wearing, then give me your pants."

All of turned soldiers began into a bitter laugh.

"Okay Miss," the young soldier turned to the tall one next to him. "You heard the Miss. Give her your slacks."

"Mine!" The tall one turned to the soldier next to him. "No, not mine. Too long. Get Mark's just the size for the Miss."

At the far end, the shortest turned in anger, "Me? Cough up yours Kikiro! You're the one who has nothing to hide!"

At that, the two in the middle laughed aloud.

Again, I stood clueless of what they were speaking of. I rolled my eyes. "I hope your laughter erases the slaughter outside," I mumbled.

The young soldier, Kikiro went silent. "Miss Erilye, if the post fails to defend itself, we have to get you out. The Montregons will torture you and...well...you can't be caught. If there is still and ocean of orange outside, we have to escort you to the nearest base."

"Little brother," Mark hissed grasping Kikiro's shoulder. "You cannot trouble her with this." Mark looked up at me. "You will be safe. By our lives, you will live."