Opal Wings

Chapter Seven - Dissension

Though it was as Saki gazed down at the rushing waters of the river that she noticed something a little disconcerting.

The stepping stones she had painstakingly put in the river had all been moved through the rushing of the water from upstream, and they'd disappeared into the deeper parts of the river.

And her makeshift bridge got blown away from the beginning.

'That certainly is a lot of water coming downstream.' Shirayuki surmised with a curious tone, all the while she looked around at the rising waters that surrounded Saki's house. 'You don't think your home will become inundated with water, do y--'

A startled gasp escaped Shirayuki as Saki walked up behind her and lifted her up over one shoulder without warning, though the latter just shook her head in minor exasperation.

'Tuck your legs up so they don't get wet.' Saki commented as she just walked along towards where the stepping stones used to be.

'Wh-what--?!' Saki heard the redhead gasp out, however she paid no heed to the woman in the least as she began to wade through the water.

The sensations of icy-cold waters soaked Saki's clothes as she walked, rising right up to her navel as she carried Shirayuki through, until finally, they were on the other side.

'You didn't need to do that!' Shirayuki practically gasped out as soon as she was set back on her own two feet, though Saki merely shrugged past the redhead to lead the way back to Wistal.

The journey was spent in silence speckled with small moments of Shirayuki pausing on the way to acquire plants and herbs she spotted along the trail, and after a much longer time than Saki had expected, they were gazing up at the southern gate into Wistal. It wasn't a particularly hard call to say that she was relieved, though oddly enough, Shirayuki looked to be struck with a mixture of relief and disappointment.

The guards were struggling to keep their torches lit with futility, and as Saki tugged the thick black scarf she wore higher to cover the lower part of her face a little better, she cast a small glance back at Shirayuki. It looked like the hide coat was keeping the woman dry, at least, though the chill that came with the wind didn't fail to seep deep into ones bones.

'Oh! Miss Shirayuki!' Came the sounds of a voice calling out over the storm-wrecked air, bringing the aforementioned woman to lift her gaze up in response. 'You there! Go let the other know that the Second Prince's Friend has returned!'

'Eh?' Shirayuki seemed rather perplexed by the voices of guards talking about her, bringing Saki to cast a sidewards glance back at the woman once more. 'Oh, I think I worried them...'

At the sounds of multiple pairs of feet scrambling to movement, Saki's gaze shifted over towards the gate where two guards were running over with spears held at the ready, and she had the painfully familiar thought that these spears were going to be directed at her once again.

'Halt! Do not move!' The guards commanded as soon as Saki had shifted to leave, earning not only another confused squeak from Shirayuki, but a weary sigh from Saki as she raised her hands up in a show of surrender. 'Who are you?! Were you the one responsible for Miss Shirayuki's absence?!'

'Well... technically speaking, I can't actually deny that.' Saki muttered beneath her breath with a sigh.

'What are you doing?!' Shirayuki demanded in horror as one of the guards stopped in front of Saki and brandished his spear towards her, while the other was quick to usher the said redhead away from Saki.

'Come inside, Miss Shirayuki! You're safe now!' The guard "reassured" Shirayuki as Saki was held at spear-point.

'What on earth are you talking about?!' Shirayuki demanded as she pulled herself away from the second guard to pry the other's spear away from Saki's throat. 'What danger was I in beyond pneumonia?!'