The Lost Priestess

Lost Memories, New Companions

   

     I awake in a daze. Where am I?  It is dark, and I am leaning on a tree in a forest. My head feels heavy and my body aches. Next to me lies a sword, covered in blood and dirt. What happened? I look around and I see no one. Suddenly, As if my whole body wakes up, my leg starts throbbing. I glance down at my legs. The left leg is completely normal, but my right thigh is bleeding. Through a tear in my kimono I can see a large laceration across the top of my thigh. What happened to me? Why am I here? My head starts pounding as I try to remember my purpose of being in the place. I try to stand, but as soon as I put pressure on my leg I fall back to the ground. I wonder if I call for help would anyone come to my rescue. "Someone please help me!"

     I hear a rustle in the bushes and my whole body tenses with fear. What if it's a wild animal? What if it is the person who injured me? As I look around franctically, I see a hand reach around from behind and covers my mouth. I try to scream, but I can only make muffled sounds. I try to break free, but the arm is too strong. A shadow appears in front of me cloaked in all black where all I can see is a pair bright blue eyes. Such beautiful eyes, and I can see a small amount of blonde hair that has fallen out of the shadow's hood. "I will remove my hand if you promise not to scream," he says in a low, calming voice. I nod my head to agree with his terms. He gently removes his hand and sits in front of me with his legs crossed, a confused look on his face. "Who are you girl? What are you doing here? This is no place for a woman to be sleeping. Who sleeps in the middle of a battlefield? Are you some kind of idiot?" he asks in an aggrevated tone. "I wasn't sleeping!" I shout at him. "Then why were your eyes closed for so long?" he says with one eyebrow raised in curiosity. "You were watching me? So you know what happened to me? Why am I here?" I say as my voice cracks in fear. "No. I just got here a few moments ago. My master told me to scout this place out to see if the enemy had moved on and that's when I found you here asleep. What do you mean you don't know why you are here?" Then he looks down a the sword laying beside me.

    He jumps and pulls a weird looking blade from his back. It is a curved blade with ridges on one side and the hilt is wrapped in green and blue fabric with a white feather hanging from it. It is beautiful and seems out of place in the hands of this man. " Who are you?! What are you doing here? Are you from the Tsuka Clan?" he shouts at me. "I....I...I" I studder on my words. Who am I? I cannot remember my name or who I was beforeI woke. "Answer me!" he shouts again. " I don't remember my name!" I shout back at him. "What do you mean you dont know?!" he says as he looks at me. "Wait, are you telling me that you lost your memory?" He seems to calm down and sits in front of me again with his strange blade resting in his lap. He leans forward and comes very close to my face. I flinch and look away. Why is he looking at me this way? Who am I and why can't I remember?

     Lost in my thoughts, I don't even notice that he is touching my leg. " Hey! What do you think you are doing?!" I yell at him as I draw my legs to my chest. My right legs throbs in pain as I move it. " I was trying to wrap your leg. What did you think I was doing? You stupid girl," he says as he places his hand on my knee, I straighten my leg out again. He begins to wrap my leg in cloth that he pulled from his shirt. I turn my face from him. I don't want him to see that I am blushing. His touch makes me nervous. He gently wraps the cloth around my leg and I flinch in pain as he ties it. "Did I hurt you?", he says as he pulls my kimono back over my legs. "N-No. I'm fine. Thank you," I say looking into his blue eyes. "Um, you're welcome. Can you stand?" he says as he looks down at my leg. "I can try." I try to stand up, but as soon as I put pressure on my leg, I fall to the ground. He reaches his hand out to me and says, "Here, let me help you." I take his hand and he stands me up.

      My leg still hurts. "Thank you again. Who are you?" I ask as he puts his arm around me to supprt my weight and places my arm across his shoulder. His shoulders are wide and strong. "I'm Hiroto. I am from the Doragon Ichizoku. I am one of the few poeple to serve under Lord Tomohiro." he says with a bright smile. "Lord Tomohiro? You mean the Dragon Clan leader? That means you are one of his five shinobi. Which means...." I look around taking in the scenery of the wounded bodies, armor and weapons that lay on the ground. "This is where the Dragon Clan was battling the Tsuka Clan. But why am I here? And why do I have this sword?" I lean down to grab the sword. It is heavy, but strangly it feels like a part of me. On the hilt there is a symbol. A Pheonix! Why does it look familar? "Is that a Pheonix?" Hiroto says with a shocked look on his face. I nod and he suddenly throws me over his shoulder and starts to run. The trees pass by so quickly that I'm not sure of the direction we are going. "Where are taking you me?!" I ask. He doesn't say anything and keeps running.

      We reach the top of a hill and he sets me down and whistles three times, then two more. Out of no where a horse appears. A black horse with golden eyes. "Get on!" he says. "I don't know if I remember how to ride a horse." I say nervously. "Don't worry, Tsaski will do everyting." He says as he tosses me on top of the horse. Then he climbs up behind me. "Tch Tch!" he clicks his tongue and the horse begins to run. We ride up to a mansion at the bottom of the hill. The mansion is surrounded by gardens and a small pond. It is the most beautiful house I have even seen. We stop at the gate where there are two guards posted. They see Hiroto and open the gate immediately. They both look at me with confusion. Inside I can see the stables and a porch to go inside. We ride over to the stables. "Where are we?" I ask, looking around. "We are at Lord Tomohiro's mansion." he says as he helps me off the horse. "Why have you brought me here?" I ask him. He points to the sword and says, "The pheonix on the hilt of your sword. That is the crest of the Heiwa Clan. It is said that their Priestess has gone missing. Judging by your clothes and the crest on your sword, you seem to be that missing priestess." He walks Tsaski into his stall and gives him some hay. Tsaski neighs in delight. Hiroto turns to me and says, " I couldn't just leave a priestess in the middle of a battlefield. Especially not one that can help us change the world." I stumble backwards and someone catches me. I look up to see green eyes and tousled brown hair. "Hiroto, what is this? Why must you always bring strays home? We aren't keeping her," he says as he lets me go. "I'm not some animal you can keep as a pet!" I shout at him. He raises his arm as if to strike me, but Hiroto jumps in front of me and takes the blow with his forearm. "Hiroto!" I say. He turns to me and smiles, "I'm fine." I turn away from his smile

       "Who is this girl anyway, Hiroto?" the stranger says. "Well, she has no memory of who she is or where she cam from. I found her on the battlefield. She is wounded." Hiroto turns towards me and looks down at my leg. "Lord Tomohiro will want to see her right away," says the stranger to Hiroto. "I know that Itsuki. That is where we are going as soon as you get out of my way." Hiroto grabs my hand and wraps his arm around my waist to support my weight as we walk inside the mansion. Inside, there is elegant furniture everywhere and the rooms are plentiful. We walk up to the open door at the end of the hall. It leads to a large room with four men inside. All but one are dressed just like Hiroto. "Hiroto! You're back!" shouts a man from the room. He is tall and wears a green kimono and has two swords on his side. "Hey Haruki," says Hiroto as we enter the room and he sets me down on a pillow. "Who is your friend, Hiroto? She is beautiful. Where did you find such a beauty?" he says as he comes close to me and sees me blushing at his compliment. Hiroto steps in between us with an angry look on his face, "Haruki don't bother her. Where is Lord Tomohiro?"

      "I'm right here, Hiroto." A man stands up. He is the only man dressed differently. He wears a lavish kimono with his long black hair pulled into a braid that runs down his back. On his side he has a single sword. It has no hilt. Instead there is a white cloth that reminds me of bandages wrapped around it. He walks with such authority that I feel i should stand and bow. Unfortunately, my leg will not allow such an action. Hiroto bows to his master. Lord Tomohiro leans down and lifts my chin with his hand. He has the most amazing violet eyes. So strong and full of wisdom. "Who are you, child?" he says, looking into my eyes. I look away and say, "I do not know, my lord. I seem to have lost all of my memories. I only remember waking up in the forest, wounded, and holding this..." I lift my sword for him to see. "Oh my!" He touches the pheonix on the hilt. "The priestess of the Heiwa Clan." He again lifts my chin. "Blue eyes of the ocean, black hair of a raven and pale skin of the moon. Child, you say you have no memory, yet you look just like the young priestess and have her sword." He lets go of my chin and I look at him, my confusion plain on my face. "My lord, if I am the Priestess you speak of, then why was I found in the middle of a battlefield? And why can't I remember who I am?" I say with tears in my eyes.

        “Now child, do not cry. I am sure that your memories will return in time. As for why you were found in a battlefield, I cannot answer that. Until your memories are returned to you, you will stay here in my masion where you will be safe," he says to me the most gentle smile. "Thank you, my lord." I lower my head. He looks at my leg, and motions for one of his men to come to him. A man with a gentle smile comes to Lord Tomohiro's side. He wears a blue kimono and yellow hood. He looks at me as if I were a doll in a toy shop. "Yes, my lord?" he asks his master. "Take the young woman to a room and see to her wound immediately," says Lord Tomohiro. "Yes my lord." The gentle-faced man leans down and picks me up as if I am a feather and begins to walk out of the room when Hiroto speaks up. "Wait, Lord Tomohiro. I can take her to her room and see to the wound myself. Kazumi doesn't need to do it," he says as he comes over to take me from Kazumi, but Kazumi backs away. "I must do as Lord Tomohiro commands, Hiroto," he says as he walks out of the room holding me. I look back to see Hiroto watching us with a worried expression upon his face.