Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ To Mend the Rose ❯ Disturbances ( Chapter 6 )
[ P - Pre-Teen ]
By: Feye Morgan 
Even stranger things happen while Dilandau is at Enmu's, and the albino begins to get suspicious.
Anime/Manga: Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Drama | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 07.10.2003 | Pages: 3 | Words: 2.2K | Visits: 224 | Status: Work In Progress
Even stranger things happen while Dilandau is at Enmu's, and the albino begins to get suspicious.
Anime/Manga: Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Drama | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 07.10.2003 | Pages: 3 | Words: 2.2K | Visits: 224 | Status: Work In Progress
Disclaimer:
*Q pops into the room*
Feye: Hi Q!
Q:...
Feye: Q, you are omnipitent! Tell me, do I own Escaflowne?
Q:...no. You do not own enough of the base savage human concept of 'money' for that to be true.
Feye:...there you have it! Now run along and go bother Piccard, Q!
Q: Gladly. *pops out of existance*
ONWARD!
TO MEND THE ROSE: DISTURBANCES by Feye Morgan
*~*~*~*
Shesta laughed. Firelight danced in his blue eyes.
"So, Gatti, what's your story?"
Dilandau was small again, young, listening raptly to the boys around him. They had just met earlier that week, and for now there was no rank between them. They were out in the woods, learning survival skills from their superior. The day done, they sat in a circle around their campfire, sharing stories of their pasts.
They were all laughing happily, without worries are cares. They had their whole lives ahead of them, and their dreams were wild and soaring.
*~*~*~*
Dilandau woke. This time it was still dark out. He tilted his head to the side to look out his window. Dawn had long come and gone, but rainclouds covered the sky like a blanket, shutting out the sun's rays.
Dilandau closed his eyes. ~Why am I sleeping late?~ he wondered irritably. ~I've never had this happen before~ It was almost as if something was pushing him down, preventing him from waking. And while he slept, he kept having such vivid dreams...
The Dragonslayers had all come from poor backgrounds. They had been pulled off the streets and out of gutters thanks to the glimmers of skill and determination that had shone in them. If it hadn't been for Zaibach, those boys would have died hungry, miserable, alone, and soon.
~If it wasn't for Zaibach...~
The empire wasn't really all that bad. Casualties happen in war. His soldiers just happened to be some of them.
~But it didn't have to be that way~ Dilandau smothered the thought before it could grow. His eyes wandered around the room, searching for something to focus on. They alighted on the rose petal, still in its place on the nightstand.
~We all had lofty ideals in mind. Zaibach isn't evil. Dornkirk had an ideal future in mind, a place of beauty and peace. Folken gave up his homeland for that ideal. The Dragonslayers were saved, and died for that ideal. I wonder how the war ended. I wonder whatever happened to Folken and Dornkirk. Even if Zaibach lost, they would still be there~
Dilandau found himself wondering if he could go back after all. Folken would understand him, surely.
But the madoushi...They would still be waiting.
Perhaps things would change after the war.
Or perhaps not.
Dilandau rose from his bed and dressed. After slipping the rose petal once again into his pocket, he paused, his hand hovering over the nightstand. Dilandau had placed something else there before he had gone to sleep last night. What was it? The albino tried desperately to remember. It was something he had found the other day, outside...
~Why can't I remember?~ Dilandau thought with exhasperation. ~Oh well. It mustn't have been important, then~ he thought.
But he had a nagging feeling that it was.
There was, again, no sign of Enmu when Dilandau emerged in the kitchen. Apparently his host had already eaten and was working outside. Dilandau helped himself to a small breakfast, and then wandered outside to search for Enmu.
"Enmu?" Dilandau called. The clouds had gotten denser, and they hung ominously in the sky. A chill wind rustled the trees.
Dilandau circled the house without finding the older man. The albino frowned. Enmu's boots and coat were missing, clearly indicating that he was not inside. Dilandau searched some more.
"Enmu? ENMU!" He was beginning to get very nervous. Why would Enmu leave him without any notice? Dilandau ran back inside the cabin to look for some kind of note. He found nothing.
~Maybe he just went for a walk~ Dilandau thought. He walked back outside, and looked for a footpath. He found one leading off by the woodpile he had worked on yesterday. Thunder sounded in the distance. Dilandau quickened his pace. A storm was approaching. Rain was coming. And mist always accompanies rain...
Dilandau was running swiftly down the path now. An urgency he did not completely understand was speeding his feet over the ground.
There was a shape ahead, through the trees, coming his way. Dilandau slowed to a fast walk.
"Enmu!" he called to the figure. Enmu halted abruptly and froze. "Enmu, it's me, Dilandau!" At that, Enmu took several steps backwards. Dilandau frowned. The albino swiftly turned the corner to get a better view of his friend, and then stopped dead.
The man before him was not Enmu. He had his built and height, and he was dressed in the forest attire, but he was definitely a stranger.
Dilandau retreated a step, before the idea came to him that this might be a friend of Enmu's who had stopped by for a visit. He raised his hands to show that he was peaceable.
"Sir, I'm a friend of Enmu's. I mean no harm. Are you a relative of his, or a friend?"
The man's eyes remained wide and alarmed. He was trembling, and his hand clutched his walking stick so tightly that it shook as well.
"Sir?" Dilandau asked, now slightly annoyed. "What's wrong?" Dilandau frowned at the man.
The scowl must have been too much for the stranger, for he suddenly turned and ran as fast as he could down the path from where he had come. Dilandau was left staring in consternation.
Another roll of thunder echoed. Puzzled, Dilandau headed back to the cabin.
He was relieved to find Enmu's walking stick leaning beside the door.
~He's back!~
Enmu was inside happily drinking a cup of tea.
'Hello, Dilandau," he said brightly. "Nasty day ouside, isn't it?"
"Where were you?" Dilandau said, annoyed. "I looked all over the place for you!"
Enmu frowned slightly. "I'm sorry, Dilandau. I should have left a message. I went to Palas last night. I was low on supplies and I knew we would need some extra food. This storm could last for days." Enmu nodded at the window. A slight drizzle was falling from the bloated clouds overhead. Another peal of thunder heralded the approaching downpoar. "I didn't realize you would be so upset."
Dilandau took a seat opposite Enmu and sighed heavily. "It's okay." After a moment's thought, he went on. "But, isn't Palas far from here? How on earth did you make the trip in such a short time?"
"Palas isn't as far away as one would tend to think. The dense forest just makes the distance seem greater. I left quite late last night, and only, as you percieved, just got back."
"Enmu?"
"Dilandau?"
"Are you expecting any visitors?"
Enmu frowned. "No. Why?"
Dilandau hesitated, and then went on. "There was a man coming up the path towards the cabin several minutes ago. I asked him if he was a friend of yours, but he didn't answer. He looked terrified of me, and fled." Dilandau watched Enmu carefully as he delivered the news. He was startled by his friend's reaction.
Enmu turned very pale, and clutched his tea mug tightly with both hands. His eyes grew distant, as if he was seeing something entirely different.
"Enmu?" Dilandau asked worriedly. The calm blanket that always seemed to cover Dilandau's mind when he was around his host melted away. Dilandau suddenly felt very vulnerable, and very uneasy.
Enmu shook himself, and his eyes lost their distant quality. The uneasy feeling vanished, leaving the blanket back in place.
"I'll be right back, Dilandau. If you could wash the teapot and teacup, it would be a help." Enmu left the cabin before the silver-haired boy could protest.
Still frowning, Dilandau did as Enmu had asked. Why had the other man seemed so alarmed at the mention of the stranger? Dilandau's mind was swimming with questions. He opened the cupboard to put the teapot away, and stared. The cupboard looked the same as it had yesterday. This would not have been unusual...except that Enmu had said he had gone into Palas for more food and supplies. First of all, they had not been low on food in the first place, even for two people caught in a storm for several days. Second, there was no sign of the extra supplies Enmu had gone to gather. If he hadn't been to get food...where had he gone?
"Well, there's no sign of him," Enmu said as he walked back inside. Dilandau closed the cupboard. "It was probably just someone who had gotten lost. The sight of you probably startled him."
This did not make sense to Dilandau. "But he was dressed like a cottager. And that still doesn't explain why he was so scared of me!"
Enmu shook his head. "Us woodland folk can be quite odd at times," he smiled. The smile put Dilandau more at ease. If Enmu wasn't worried, then why should he be?
~But he -was- worried. You saw the look on his face~ A nagging voice persisted. Dilandau brushed the thought aside.
"By the way, Dilandau, when I was in town, I picked up some news."
Dilandau's ears perked up, the stranger and the cupboard entirely forgotten.
"It seems that Zaibach lost the war," he continued. "The Allies and the Empire have entered into negotiations right in Palas. There was mention of you as well, Dilandau."
Dilandau stiffened.
"I ran into some of the Zaibachan soldiers at Palas, and I overheard your name." He caught the dubious look on Dilandau's face. "Don't ask me why there were Zaibach soldiers present when they lost the war. They probably came to protect the ambassador." Enmu shrugged and went on. "Anyways, I asked them about you; said I'd heard the name before. They told me that you had deserted, something I'd gathered already."
Dilandau remained silent.
"Well, it turns out that they want you back. Apparently you were such an important part of their troops that they were somewhat crippled without you. It seems they had planned to put you in command of another elite squad, and they still want you for the position. They said that they were attempting to spread the word that if you returned, they would welcome you back without punishment."
Dilandau stared at Enmu. He didn't believe a word of it, and said as much.
Enmu chuckled. "I didn't know what to think. Either you were one hell of a soldier, or they're just desperate to have your head.
[AN: Sorry to interrupt the story here, but Beowulf, my dog whom I've had with me for twelve years, passed away not an hour ago. I'm sorry if the rest of the chapter is overly depressing, or is disjointed a bit, as it probably will be. Writing this is just helping me cope right now, and I had to put something here, just for my own solace. Okay. Onward then.]
~Probably the latter~ Dilandau mused. Although, having lost the war, Dilandau thought it odd that they would be so bent on punishment. ~Maybe the soldiers were telling the truth~ Dilandau hadn't heard of any plans to put him in command of another elite troop. But then, he wouldn't have heard, would he? His superiors would have waited until the attack on Palas was over, in case he was killed.
Enmu caught the thoughtful expression on the albino's face. "You aren't considering it, are you?"
Dilandau shook his head, but wondered. "Did the soldiers look like they were lying?"
Enmu considered for a moment. "Well, no, they didn't. They seemed a mite surprised that you had deserted, though. From their tone, you were something of a legend."
Dilandau snorted, but felt a glimmer of his old pride resurface.
Enmu raised his hands and grinned. "Hey, I don't know anything about it. I'm just telling what I saw." Enmu wrinkled his nose, and yawned. He looked sheepishly at Dilandau. "I didn't realize how tired I am. I'm off to take a bit of a nap. I don't know that there's much to be done. Not with it raining so hard now. I have a few books in the living room if you'd like to read a bit."
"Thank you."
Enmu gave one of his warm smiles, and disappeared into his bedroom.
Dilandau rested on the couch, and perused the books lying on the small table before him. He bypassed "How 'bout them Bears?", "In a Sunburnt Country", and "Falling into Darkness" before settling on a thick, old volume titled "Angels Weave the Clouds: Memoirs of Varie". He didn't know quite why he picked that particular book. All he knew was that Varie had been a Queen of Fanelia not too long ago. For some reason he was interested in the small country that Folken had left long ago. Dilandau settled himself more comfortably in the couch, and began to read.
Outside the rain poured endlessly down.
*~*~*~*
*Q pops into the room*
Feye: Hi Q!
Q:...
Feye: Q, you are omnipitent! Tell me, do I own Escaflowne?
Q:...no. You do not own enough of the base savage human concept of 'money' for that to be true.
Feye:...there you have it! Now run along and go bother Piccard, Q!
Q: Gladly. *pops out of existance*
ONWARD!
TO MEND THE ROSE: DISTURBANCES by Feye Morgan
*~*~*~*
Shesta laughed. Firelight danced in his blue eyes.
"So, Gatti, what's your story?"
Dilandau was small again, young, listening raptly to the boys around him. They had just met earlier that week, and for now there was no rank between them. They were out in the woods, learning survival skills from their superior. The day done, they sat in a circle around their campfire, sharing stories of their pasts.
They were all laughing happily, without worries are cares. They had their whole lives ahead of them, and their dreams were wild and soaring.
*~*~*~*
Dilandau woke. This time it was still dark out. He tilted his head to the side to look out his window. Dawn had long come and gone, but rainclouds covered the sky like a blanket, shutting out the sun's rays.
Dilandau closed his eyes. ~Why am I sleeping late?~ he wondered irritably. ~I've never had this happen before~ It was almost as if something was pushing him down, preventing him from waking. And while he slept, he kept having such vivid dreams...
The Dragonslayers had all come from poor backgrounds. They had been pulled off the streets and out of gutters thanks to the glimmers of skill and determination that had shone in them. If it hadn't been for Zaibach, those boys would have died hungry, miserable, alone, and soon.
~If it wasn't for Zaibach...~
The empire wasn't really all that bad. Casualties happen in war. His soldiers just happened to be some of them.
~But it didn't have to be that way~ Dilandau smothered the thought before it could grow. His eyes wandered around the room, searching for something to focus on. They alighted on the rose petal, still in its place on the nightstand.
~We all had lofty ideals in mind. Zaibach isn't evil. Dornkirk had an ideal future in mind, a place of beauty and peace. Folken gave up his homeland for that ideal. The Dragonslayers were saved, and died for that ideal. I wonder how the war ended. I wonder whatever happened to Folken and Dornkirk. Even if Zaibach lost, they would still be there~
Dilandau found himself wondering if he could go back after all. Folken would understand him, surely.
But the madoushi...They would still be waiting.
Perhaps things would change after the war.
Or perhaps not.
Dilandau rose from his bed and dressed. After slipping the rose petal once again into his pocket, he paused, his hand hovering over the nightstand. Dilandau had placed something else there before he had gone to sleep last night. What was it? The albino tried desperately to remember. It was something he had found the other day, outside...
~Why can't I remember?~ Dilandau thought with exhasperation. ~Oh well. It mustn't have been important, then~ he thought.
But he had a nagging feeling that it was.
There was, again, no sign of Enmu when Dilandau emerged in the kitchen. Apparently his host had already eaten and was working outside. Dilandau helped himself to a small breakfast, and then wandered outside to search for Enmu.
"Enmu?" Dilandau called. The clouds had gotten denser, and they hung ominously in the sky. A chill wind rustled the trees.
Dilandau circled the house without finding the older man. The albino frowned. Enmu's boots and coat were missing, clearly indicating that he was not inside. Dilandau searched some more.
"Enmu? ENMU!" He was beginning to get very nervous. Why would Enmu leave him without any notice? Dilandau ran back inside the cabin to look for some kind of note. He found nothing.
~Maybe he just went for a walk~ Dilandau thought. He walked back outside, and looked for a footpath. He found one leading off by the woodpile he had worked on yesterday. Thunder sounded in the distance. Dilandau quickened his pace. A storm was approaching. Rain was coming. And mist always accompanies rain...
Dilandau was running swiftly down the path now. An urgency he did not completely understand was speeding his feet over the ground.
There was a shape ahead, through the trees, coming his way. Dilandau slowed to a fast walk.
"Enmu!" he called to the figure. Enmu halted abruptly and froze. "Enmu, it's me, Dilandau!" At that, Enmu took several steps backwards. Dilandau frowned. The albino swiftly turned the corner to get a better view of his friend, and then stopped dead.
The man before him was not Enmu. He had his built and height, and he was dressed in the forest attire, but he was definitely a stranger.
Dilandau retreated a step, before the idea came to him that this might be a friend of Enmu's who had stopped by for a visit. He raised his hands to show that he was peaceable.
"Sir, I'm a friend of Enmu's. I mean no harm. Are you a relative of his, or a friend?"
The man's eyes remained wide and alarmed. He was trembling, and his hand clutched his walking stick so tightly that it shook as well.
"Sir?" Dilandau asked, now slightly annoyed. "What's wrong?" Dilandau frowned at the man.
The scowl must have been too much for the stranger, for he suddenly turned and ran as fast as he could down the path from where he had come. Dilandau was left staring in consternation.
Another roll of thunder echoed. Puzzled, Dilandau headed back to the cabin.
He was relieved to find Enmu's walking stick leaning beside the door.
~He's back!~
Enmu was inside happily drinking a cup of tea.
'Hello, Dilandau," he said brightly. "Nasty day ouside, isn't it?"
"Where were you?" Dilandau said, annoyed. "I looked all over the place for you!"
Enmu frowned slightly. "I'm sorry, Dilandau. I should have left a message. I went to Palas last night. I was low on supplies and I knew we would need some extra food. This storm could last for days." Enmu nodded at the window. A slight drizzle was falling from the bloated clouds overhead. Another peal of thunder heralded the approaching downpoar. "I didn't realize you would be so upset."
Dilandau took a seat opposite Enmu and sighed heavily. "It's okay." After a moment's thought, he went on. "But, isn't Palas far from here? How on earth did you make the trip in such a short time?"
"Palas isn't as far away as one would tend to think. The dense forest just makes the distance seem greater. I left quite late last night, and only, as you percieved, just got back."
"Enmu?"
"Dilandau?"
"Are you expecting any visitors?"
Enmu frowned. "No. Why?"
Dilandau hesitated, and then went on. "There was a man coming up the path towards the cabin several minutes ago. I asked him if he was a friend of yours, but he didn't answer. He looked terrified of me, and fled." Dilandau watched Enmu carefully as he delivered the news. He was startled by his friend's reaction.
Enmu turned very pale, and clutched his tea mug tightly with both hands. His eyes grew distant, as if he was seeing something entirely different.
"Enmu?" Dilandau asked worriedly. The calm blanket that always seemed to cover Dilandau's mind when he was around his host melted away. Dilandau suddenly felt very vulnerable, and very uneasy.
Enmu shook himself, and his eyes lost their distant quality. The uneasy feeling vanished, leaving the blanket back in place.
"I'll be right back, Dilandau. If you could wash the teapot and teacup, it would be a help." Enmu left the cabin before the silver-haired boy could protest.
Still frowning, Dilandau did as Enmu had asked. Why had the other man seemed so alarmed at the mention of the stranger? Dilandau's mind was swimming with questions. He opened the cupboard to put the teapot away, and stared. The cupboard looked the same as it had yesterday. This would not have been unusual...except that Enmu had said he had gone into Palas for more food and supplies. First of all, they had not been low on food in the first place, even for two people caught in a storm for several days. Second, there was no sign of the extra supplies Enmu had gone to gather. If he hadn't been to get food...where had he gone?
"Well, there's no sign of him," Enmu said as he walked back inside. Dilandau closed the cupboard. "It was probably just someone who had gotten lost. The sight of you probably startled him."
This did not make sense to Dilandau. "But he was dressed like a cottager. And that still doesn't explain why he was so scared of me!"
Enmu shook his head. "Us woodland folk can be quite odd at times," he smiled. The smile put Dilandau more at ease. If Enmu wasn't worried, then why should he be?
~But he -was- worried. You saw the look on his face~ A nagging voice persisted. Dilandau brushed the thought aside.
"By the way, Dilandau, when I was in town, I picked up some news."
Dilandau's ears perked up, the stranger and the cupboard entirely forgotten.
"It seems that Zaibach lost the war," he continued. "The Allies and the Empire have entered into negotiations right in Palas. There was mention of you as well, Dilandau."
Dilandau stiffened.
"I ran into some of the Zaibachan soldiers at Palas, and I overheard your name." He caught the dubious look on Dilandau's face. "Don't ask me why there were Zaibach soldiers present when they lost the war. They probably came to protect the ambassador." Enmu shrugged and went on. "Anyways, I asked them about you; said I'd heard the name before. They told me that you had deserted, something I'd gathered already."
Dilandau remained silent.
"Well, it turns out that they want you back. Apparently you were such an important part of their troops that they were somewhat crippled without you. It seems they had planned to put you in command of another elite squad, and they still want you for the position. They said that they were attempting to spread the word that if you returned, they would welcome you back without punishment."
Dilandau stared at Enmu. He didn't believe a word of it, and said as much.
Enmu chuckled. "I didn't know what to think. Either you were one hell of a soldier, or they're just desperate to have your head.
[AN: Sorry to interrupt the story here, but Beowulf, my dog whom I've had with me for twelve years, passed away not an hour ago. I'm sorry if the rest of the chapter is overly depressing, or is disjointed a bit, as it probably will be. Writing this is just helping me cope right now, and I had to put something here, just for my own solace. Okay. Onward then.]
~Probably the latter~ Dilandau mused. Although, having lost the war, Dilandau thought it odd that they would be so bent on punishment. ~Maybe the soldiers were telling the truth~ Dilandau hadn't heard of any plans to put him in command of another elite troop. But then, he wouldn't have heard, would he? His superiors would have waited until the attack on Palas was over, in case he was killed.
Enmu caught the thoughtful expression on the albino's face. "You aren't considering it, are you?"
Dilandau shook his head, but wondered. "Did the soldiers look like they were lying?"
Enmu considered for a moment. "Well, no, they didn't. They seemed a mite surprised that you had deserted, though. From their tone, you were something of a legend."
Dilandau snorted, but felt a glimmer of his old pride resurface.
Enmu raised his hands and grinned. "Hey, I don't know anything about it. I'm just telling what I saw." Enmu wrinkled his nose, and yawned. He looked sheepishly at Dilandau. "I didn't realize how tired I am. I'm off to take a bit of a nap. I don't know that there's much to be done. Not with it raining so hard now. I have a few books in the living room if you'd like to read a bit."
"Thank you."
Enmu gave one of his warm smiles, and disappeared into his bedroom.
Dilandau rested on the couch, and perused the books lying on the small table before him. He bypassed "How 'bout them Bears?", "In a Sunburnt Country", and "Falling into Darkness" before settling on a thick, old volume titled "Angels Weave the Clouds: Memoirs of Varie". He didn't know quite why he picked that particular book. All he knew was that Varie had been a Queen of Fanelia not too long ago. For some reason he was interested in the small country that Folken had left long ago. Dilandau settled himself more comfortably in the couch, and began to read.
Outside the rain poured endlessly down.
*~*~*~*