When we arrived at the village, a very impatient Justin was waiting for us, tapping his foot consistently on the ground. The moment he saw us, he was immediately by my side; I had to endure his irritating lecture that went in one ear throughout the other for a whole minute. To entertain myself while Justin continued, I messed around with Yuri's hair, intrigued when I found streaks of gray strands in his hair.

"Hey guys."

I turned around and instantly brightened when I realized that David and Catherine had come. Completely forgetting Justin was in the middle of lecturing me, I pranced towards David. Before I could get close, Justin grabbed the hood of my cloak, almost choking me.

"Hey!" I complained.

"Careful, she might trample over you guys," Justin said.

David laughed, and Catherine smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. I realized someone was missing.

"Where's Ethan?" I asked David, tilting my head.

The humor drained from David's eyes and he looked over his shoulder towards the house. I bit my lip. I might had overdone it a little. Damn, it's my fault again —

"It's not your fault Sakura," Catherine said quietly, watching my face contort into pain. "He deserved a talking like that. Ethan's always trying to protect me and I understand...but sometimes he goes over the top, don't you think so?"

I kept quiet. No, Catherine. I don't think so. Let him protect you, and protect him as well. One day, you might find yourself with regret.

"Catherine!"

My eyes snapped up to see Julia, Catherine's best friend, running towards us. Catherine turned around and said, "What's wrong?"

"We have to hurry and prepare dinner," Julia panted. 

"Ah," Catherine realized. " That's right. Justin, Tristan, any of you guys. Can you please hunt for some food? It has to be big to serve the whole village. Not only have we not eaten for a while, but this village has much more people now."

"I'll go hunt," I said immediately. "I think the deer I killed in the forest might still be there.."

The group looked at me weirdly; I tilted my head to a side in confusion. "What?"

"You were able to kill a deer?" Justin exclaimed.

"Don't you act so surprised," I murmured.

Justin snorted in amusement and said, "Then I'll—"

"Can I go with Sakura then?" David interrupted. "I also have something to ask her. In private."

"Hm? Sure David," I smiled. "What were you going to say Justin?"

"Never mind," Justin muttered, turning around.

"Then the rest of you guys come help us get all the villagers out," Catherine said.

"Princess," Justin said. "Take Rezin with you."

"Eh? Why?" I asked. "I have David—"

"You don't know where you hid the deer's body right? Rezin remembered. Follow his lead."

Justin turned away before I could answer. I tilted my head to a side. I wonder if it was just me or if Justin suddenly seemed to act differently suddenly? How did he go from wearing an amused expression to holding such a dark and annoyed look?

Shaking my head, I watched as the rest of us set off into different directions before separating off with David. David walked faster than I did so I had to hurry to keep up with his long strides to my short ones. David realized I was jogging a little and slowed down.

"Sorry," he grinned sheepishly.

I laughed and shook my head. "It's alright. What did you want to ask me?"

By now, we were in the forest with Rezin flying lazily ahead.

"Well—"

Rezin squawked and hovered over a bush. We hurried over and parted the bush. A faint smell of flesh hung over the dead's deer body, and I cringed away from it. Gingerly, I helped David push the deer from the bush and lied it to the floor. Preparing myself, I grabbed the deer's hooves and began to pull it up my back when David stopped me.

"It's fine," he smiled. " I can do it."

"Ah but—"

David shook his head and flipped the deer over his shoulders. I stared wide-eyed at him as he treated it like it was a feather.

"We did this a lot back then when we were part of boss's gang," David explained. "He made us practice arm strength."

I nodded my head mutely, and we started off again out of the forest.

"So," David said. "As I was saying—"

Again, Rezin squawked, interrupting David. We looked up simultaneously; at first I didn't see it. But then my eyes landed on a brown head, and a scream crawled up my throat. Coming out of the trees was a very large brown bear. It snarled at us and looked directly at David- well more like the deer on David's shoulder. 

To make matters worse, it looked pretty hungry. I was pretty sure the bear wouldn't mind a few more human snacks for dinner.

"Shit," David cussed under his breath and dropped the deer from his shoulders. "Back up slowly, Sakura."

I nodded, afraid. Slowly, we backed up from the deer lying on the ground. The bear's eyes never left ours and for every step we took backwards, it took forwards. Soon it went over the deer's body and paid no attention to it.

"Guess it wants fresh meat today for dinner," David laughed meekly.

"You have the worst timing for humor," I muttered under my breath.

Suddenly, the bear pounced, and David knocked me to a side. The bear jumped over us and fumbled over. We hurried to our feet and tried to escape but it was already on its feet, growling at us.

"I guess I have to fight," David said, bringing out a sword.

"A full grown bear?" I shrieked. " Are you crazy?"

"Sakura, go down to the village and get help," David said, ignoring me.

Every part of me was tempted to leave David and get help from down the village. But another part of me wanted to stay and assist David. However as soon as the bear began advancing on us, my feet started moving backwards on its own.

"Go!" David shouted before launching himself at the bear.

I looked away and started to run. However before I even took a step out of the forest, a small shadow in front of me stopped me.

"Rezin?" I gasped.

The bird looked at me hard as if he was trying to transmit something to me. In the midst of panic inside my brain, Tristan's words came back to me.

"He somehow can pick up what others are saying and relay it back to Yuri who tells us."

But how? I grabbed Rezin and looked all over his body. Looking frustrated and annoyed, Rezin pecked me hard, and I let go in a shout of pain. He stared at me firmly this time, and I gasped when I saw it.  Rezin's eyes were turning into a purple color. The bird pecked my forehead but all I could think was David fighting a full-grown hungry bear and how I'd left him.

Yuri! Tristan! Justin! Help us!

Suddenly, Rezin's eyes turned back to its black color. It moved its head up and down once before veering out of the forest and flying down to the village. My feet took a step forward, ready to chase after the bird. But...what about David?

I shook my head. He'll be fine. He knows how to fight. He told me that he was the top fighter in his gang. I won't regret this decision. This is the right decision to make. If I try to help him, I would only be a bother and make the situation worse.

A sudden shout emitted from the forest and a shiver crawled up my spine because I knew who that voice belonged to. It's fine... I wrung my fingers together and stepped a foot out of the forest. David's just yelling to relieve tension. He's going to be alright. The bear is almost dead. I took another step forward.

I won't regret this decision. This is the right decision....

Another shout came from the forest and there was a smash! That was David slamming the bear into the tree...

When did I have to make these decisions? Why was it now that the life of someone's hands always rested in mines? Why was I always the one experiencing pain and loneliness?

But deep down, I knew I was wrong. I wasn't alone. So many more people out there had lost all their family members, some never had seen them before. Justin, Tristan, Yuri... Some people were like me who had lost some family members in front of their eyes. Catherine and Ethan. And there were also people like David—

David. 

I turned back around and crashed into the forest. My heart pounded loudly in my ears as I begged towards the sky: Please, please let David be alright. If he isn't...

I didn't finish my thought because I was already at the spot where David and the bear was fighting. I almost fainted in relief when I saw David was still up and standing. Bruised and bleeding with a few scratches in his shirt, but still alive.

A scream crawled up my throat when David narrowly dodged a deadly swipe the bear made at him. I grabbed a thin branch, hanging by a nearby tree and flung it at the bear. It didn't even notice. Before I had time to make a mental note about throwing sticks at a bear, the predator suddenly had David cornered behind a tree, surrounded by big, large bushes. If he tried to escape, he would just fall into one of the bushes and get trapped there.

"David! Duck!"

Fortunately, he didn't ask questions nor look to see who it was and quickly hunkered down. I swiped the blade from my boot and dropped it. The blade dropped the ground with a thud and the bear turned around, momentarily distracted by my voice and the sound of the blade falling.

Oh crap. I'd forgotten about my right arm, which was still healing with the tons of bandages wrapped around my arm. It sent shocks of pain up my arm when I tried to throw the dagger. The bear growled at me.

"Hehe," I grinned nervously. "What's up?"

It seemed confused for a second glancing between me and David. I knew I had to distract it before it could take a bite out of David.

"Hey!" I shouted, gaining the bear's attention. "Look at me! I'm a jumping juicy piece of meat!"

I shot a stare at David and transferred the meaning successfully: Get the hell out of there. David moved very slowly as the bear continued to stare at me with wary eyes. I continued to jump like an idiot and prayed that I would last long enough to keep this bear's attention until one of the other boys arrived. My eyes widened when I saw David snatch his blade off the ground and stalk towards the bear.

There was only one problem: the bear was now after me. I shouted out in surprise as the bear lunged at me.

"Dodge it Sakura!" David's voice yelled over the bear's roar and it brought me out of my dazed expression.

I winced as I felt the bear's claws skim over my back. T rocks and pebbles that littered the ground managed to scratch my face too. Great, another few scratches to bring along with me.

"Don't move! I can't hit the bear if you keep moving!" David yelled.

"Well, isn't that an easy thing to do!" I shouted back sarcastically, dodging another one of the bear's swipes.

I knew I wouldn't last long. My bandage was starting to unwind, and some blood dripped out. The stings on my back and face were bothering me. At least not as much as I was aware that I was trying to evade a full-grown bear that was already hungry and starving.

"Duck!"

I didn't register what was happening. My brain was fried, and my arm was throbbing again. So when I heard that word, I just dropped like a stone. That seemed to surprise the bear a whole lot and it paused for a second. Right after I dropped, the bear also landed with a thump!

Slowly raising my head, I see a two daggers digging themselves in the bear's body. One on top of its head and the other right into its neck. It was suddenly very quiet except for a pair of pounding footsteps that neared me. David's face squatted down to my eye level. His eyebrows were scrunched together and his eyes displayed worry and fear. Seeing that I was okay, he sighed in relief.

"I thought I told you to go back," he grumbled.

"A sudden change of plans," I muttered back.

"You're so careless," he murmured under his breath. 

"Well look at the bright side," I said. "We have two animals to feed the village."

I hold up two fingers and grinned. Before David could open his mouth, a crashing sound came from the bushes. Immediately, David was in front of me and I....well struggled to get up.

"Oh, it's just you guys," David's voice expressed great relief.

I poked my head around his legs to see three familiar panting boys with their daggers out.

"Where is Sakura?" Justin demanded.

"Hello," I piped from behind David.

The three boys leaned around David to see me smiling at them. Rezin chirped above the Yuri's head and came flying towards me. It landed on my hand, and I patted his head.

"Thank you for your help," I grinned.

"Geez," Tristan said, walking behind me. " You guys managed to kill that?"

"David did," I said, unsteadily wobbling to my feet ignoring Justin's snickers.

"Sick," Tristan grinned, looking back at David.

"You're sick?" I demanded, turning around. I reached out and touched David's forehead while I touched my bandaged hand on my own forehead. "Eh? You seem fine."

I frowned and dropped my hands. Then I noticed it was weirdly quiet. I looked around to see four shocked expressions. I tilted my head to a side as question marks filled my brain.

"What?"

"No," Tristan stammered, looking at me incredulously. "I meant like it was cool or crazy that he could kill an adult bear."

I tilted my head to the other side. "What?"

"Here we go again," Justin muttered.

"Do you really not know what I meant?" Tristan asked. "Don't you have friends who say that?"

"Uh, Mom never let us go outside to play with our other neighbors," I thought. " You guys are the first teenagers around my age that I've talked to."

"Why didn't your Mom let you guys wander?" David asked.

"Ah I think it's because—"

Yuri slapped his hand over my mouth and smiled at David. "I think she needs rest. Miss looks very pale."

David looked at us strangely.

"C'mon man," Tristan said, slapping David's back. "Help me carry these catches."

As Tristan and David walk away to retrieve the deer and the bear, Yuri sighed and dropped his hand.

"Sorry Miss," Yuri apologized, placing two hands like he was praying in front of me.

"It's okay?" I asked, tilting my head.

"Idiot," Justin's hand slapped the top of my head. "You aren't supposed to say you're part royal."

His voice dropped quietly as he said the last sentence. I realized I'd almost let out a dangerous piece of information and silently smacked myself.

"Sorry," I smiled bashfully. "But look Justin! My swordsmanship is so good now! I took down a deer!"

"And somehow ended up like that," he replied, pointing at my arm.

I looked down and realized that the whole bandage around my arm had come off. Frowning, I turned towards Yuri, but he was already with David trying to lift the bear. I giggled in amusement and hopped towards them to help out when Justin grabbed my good arm and started to drag me in the opposite direction.

"Justin?" I asked. "What's going on? W-wait the bear!"

"Do you think you're in the right condition to carry a bear?" he asked, turning around. I averted my eyes. He looked mad.

"You should've just came with me," Justin muttered underneath his breath. "Then you wouldn't have gotten hurt...that damn Drake."

"David," I corrected before closing my mouth when Justin turned around to glare at me again. I reached out and placed my hand on his hand that was clutching my wrist painfully. "Hey, that hurts."

Justin stopped. We were now in the middle of the trail, going down the hill. I stiffened and shut my eyes as Justin turned around and reached out towards me. Then what he did next surprised me.

He brought my two hands to his face and let out a deep sigh. I blinked in confusion as he remained silent. Carefully, I peeped, "Are you alright? Are you feeling unwell —"

"Be quiet," Justin muttered.

I sealed my lips and looked away. When I felt him release my hands, I looked back at Justin and tilted my head. He stared down at me with unfathomable umber eyes. Again, he reached out towards my face, and this time I didn't close my eyes or flinch.

Flick!

"Ouch!" I cried out as I clutched my forehead. "That hurt!"

"Learn to be more careful, idiot," Justin snorted before turning around and walking down the road. 

I frowned and tried catching up to him, but my legs were tired and heavy. Soon, Justin was so far ahead that if I said his name, he wouldn't be able to hear me.

With no one near me now, my mind aimlessly flashed back to the bear and David. Immediately, I felt the blood in my head begin to rush up. I can't believe I actually took on a full grown bear. I can't believe —

Suddenly, the world tilted, and I felt myself falling. A soft but firm landing broke my fall, and I blinked up to see Justin staring down at me with a disapproving look. Before I could say anything, he took me up bridal style and began walking down the hill like fainting girls were just another daily occurrence for him.

"I'm fine," I muttered weakly.

"I knew this would happen," Justin said. "You were just holding everything in until reality crashed into you."

"How'd you get here so quickly anyways? You were so far," I murmured in his chest.

Justin didn't respond, but I didn't care. The rocking and warmth from his body was so comforting, I began to feel my eyelids droop. Shaking my head, I tried to stay awake. But, I couldn't control it. Slowly, I felt my consciousness drift.

"Because I'm always watching over you, idiot."

~~~~~

Oh ho yes, I figured I would add in a little moment for the two characters ;))))

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