Who Wants To Live Forever

A Memory of Shadow

With dawn's arrival everything faded, leaving mostly vague images and pieces of music he could never remember clearly or recognize. What stayed in his mind were three distinct impressions, the voice that called his name drawing out each syllable as if it was a plea, the eyes that in Yuuri's opinion must be the color his mother meant when talking about the ocean, he had never seen the ocean personally,he viewed it through his mother's kind eyes. and the remains of what he had felt. Those things never left his mind or his body. If not for those things he would easily say he was the victim of incredibly realistic dreams, that perhaps the stress and weight of obligations were playing with him when he was most vulnerable.

This particular day,though he was still tired, Yuuri knew he was expected to go into the market to get what his sister told him they needed. He felt grateful that his friend Phichit was more than happy to accompany him to the market, his friend had a talent for bargaining which Yuuri lacked and he didn't want to be alone today. The day itself was fine, the sky dotted with clouds and the temperature warmer than the day before but Yuuri couldn't shake his feeling of uneasiness. It followed him after whatever it was he had gone through the night before, he felt as if he were being watched. Phichit arrived bright and early, his usual enthusiastic, happy self as he greeted Yuuri's mother with a hug. Over all the years they had been friends Phichit was as much a member of the family as Yuuri himself.

He needed his friend's cheery attitude today of all days. Phichit promised he would bring Yuuri back safe and sound, then they left, heading out into the streets to make their way through the crowds of people,carts and horses under the watchful stares of the scattered royal soldiers posted here in this place. Due to its small size they were given only a mere handful to protect everyone who lived here. Yuuri followed along after the smaller, lithe tan figure as he was also very good at navigating through crowds. Still Yuuri couldn't shake his anxiety, finding himself looking back on several occasions,scanning the villagers,most of whom he'd known since childhood, suspiciously. He nearly bumped into his friend, not noticing that he'd stopped on the street regarding Yuuri with a concerned gaze.

"You haven't been listening to me at all .have you?" Phichit's voice echoed his concern, "Are you alright? "

Yuuri was more than a little embarrassed, making an attempt at shrugging his actions away. There was no need to worry his friend. " I'm fine,..I was just distracted. Sorry." forcing a smile, hoping to reassure Phichit. "What were you saying?"

Phichit was not buying it, not at all. But pushing matters would go nowhere. "I was informing you that they haven't found that man yet, I heard the soldiers have been questioning the gypsies camped out in the forest but they keep insisting they've got a couple missing themselves." he explained, "I doubt the soldiers care, you know how they. Anything bad happens it has to be the gypsies,or anyone else unlucky enough to be traveling through when there's trouble."

People missing? Yuuri remembered hearing about that, his parents telling him to be careful. The gypsies were usually only mild troublemakers, and rarely ventured into the village proper so they could avoid the soldiers. They took care of each other, that much Yuuri knew, and if one or more of their 'family' was missing there could be more problems.

"He's been known to wander,hasn't he?" Yuuri asked "That man, the bakers father I think?"

Phichit nodded. "He gets confused." he agreed "But they usually find him pretty quick, it's been five days now and nothing. My father thinks maybe the wolves got him, it's getting close to winter and they've been seen around the farms. "

Urged on by his friend they continued walking, his anxiety not relenting in its attack on his senses. It wasn't good,he knew that, feeling so suspicious about people who he was so familiar with. People who greeted him even now as they passed buildings and shops, he couldn't bring himself to return the greetings as readily as his friend did. Close to the market where stands were set up to sell goods a small crowd gathered,circling a soldier who Yuuri observed as they got closer, was dealing with an old gypsy woman. An old,angry gypsy woman. Following Phichit they managed to get close enough to hear.