Yumiko's New Friend
*A/N: A moment of respite before the plunge :P
Boundaries of Mirkwood
Yumiko’s New Friend
Chapter 12
Yumiko was delightfully full. Spread over the family table was a feast for Obon; the food was rich and light, all delicious and delectable. Her rowdy family was finishing up desert. Somehow, her brother had gotten hold of a Popsicle and couldn’t refrain from poking her; once in the collarbone, once on her chin, then against her nose, but she couldn’t manage to bring her leaden hands up and swat him away. . .
With a start, Yumiko sat upright on her mat, upsetting the creamy ball of fur which had been sniffing her face. It ran to the edge of the platform and froze, terrified. Yumiko went still and wide eyed as well.
It was adorable! It was cuddly! It was bold and fuzzy! Yumiko decided she wanted one.
“Neko,” she cooed, motioning for the cream colored kitty with orange eyes to come over and sniff her fingers. “Neko,neko,neko,neko,neko.”
The kitty twitched her bushy tail and cocked her head, but came no closer. “Mew?” she meowed in question, trying to discern if this being whose breath faintly smelled of fish was friendly.
Yumiko remembered her bag. She slowly reached into it and drew out a tin of sardines. Curious, the kitty put a tentative paw foreword.
The tin popped open nosily. Frightened, the tree kitty skittered out onto a branch, making a run for it.
Yumiko would not be deterred! This was her first chance at having a real pet and she wasn’t about to give it up so easily. Fluidly slipping her backpack on, she took off into the maze of sturdy branches, barefoot and dewy-eyed. She’d have her pet, and with such a good bribe as yummy sardines she was confident she could achieve just that!
***
Arielle was ready to panic. The kid’s shoes were neatly set at the end of her mat with the blanket carelessly tossed over them. Why on earth would she venture off into a dangerous forest without shoes?
Arielle knew she shouldn’t follow. The others were meeting her here and it was enough that one person was lost and on their own; they didn’t need two. Yet sitting and doing nothing was not an acceptable alternative. Out of fruitless frustration, Arielle re-armed herself with her firearm and ammo, and slung the sword over her back. After pacing impatiently for an indistinguishable length of time, Arielle heard the sound of female voices going up the rope ladder from below. She practically stepped on Abigail as she slid down the trunk and landed near her heads.
“She’d gone!”
Abigail nearly lost her grip at the sight of someone free-falling directly upon her. After having fallen to her death, she hadn’t particularly looked foreword to climbing trees again. “What are you going on about?”
Characteristically, Arielle ignored the question and sought out Niobe who was following after the blonde.
“What has happened Arielle?”
“Yumiko! She’s not up there; Pointy Ears, oh hell, Tyelco.”
He immediately went alert, circumvented the other girls, and lightly leapt onto her branch. After all the condescension, his unitary attentiveness was a bit unnerving. With exaggerative gestures, Arielle motioned upward. “We have a problem. Yumiko. Gone.”
Without a single facial expression, he reached down and gathered the terrified, very vocal Abigail into his arms without a complaint on his end.
Thoughts seemed to be exchanged between the jedi and Pointy Ears. After a moment, he nodded to Arielle, and together they began climbing up through the branches.
“No, no, not good! Don’t jump that!” Abigail shrieked as Pointy Ears easily sprung up again and again as though he had no burden at all. Momentarily, they reached the top. Abigail gratefully slinked to the center of the platform upon being set down.
Pointy Ears knelt beside the mat where Yumiko had slept, analyzing the area. His eyes swept back and forth. It was as though he could see something Arielle could not.
“Look.” Arielle pointed out the dusty paw prints and with a finger. He nodded, then directed her to the faintest claw marks in the tree bark, leading away. Indeed, he could she what she could not
Behind her, there was a light thump. Gracefully, Niobe rose over the ledge and her eyes latching to Pointy Ear’s. It was like watching an impromptu staring competition. Arielle snatched up Yumiko’s dainty, dirty sneakers unable to stand the silence.
“We’re going after her,” Arielle stated.
Niobe nodded, turning to Arielle. “Tyelco can see her trail. He will lead us. She doesn’t appear to be in immediate danger.”
“You—we’re going where?” Abigail questioned apprehensively.
Arielle wanted to slap her. So what if Yumiko had wandered off on her own? Just because it wasn’t Abigail’s friend out there, alone, in a forest with mutant spiders didn’t mean she should be left to her folly.
Niobe replied to the query before Arielle could say anything rash. “I will assist you, Abigail. We’re going out onto the branches.”
Sighing heavily, Abigail drew her wand. “I used to climb rock walls and trees all the time. It seems plummeting to my death has altered my fondness. We are coming back for my bicycle, aren’t we?”
To hell with your damn bicycle.
Arielle hurried out into the canopy after Pointy Ears, leaving Niobe and Abigail to converse softly behind them. He moved confidently with his eyes fixed on the invisible trail before him and she followed dutifully behind, accepting his ability to find the trace of Yumiko. There was a twinge in her chest; this was the first time she openly appreciated his presence instead of resenting it, and that was an awkward mental shift.
With both Arielle and Pointy Ears watching the trail, Abigail was the first to notice the faint pink glow a good distance ahead. “Excuse me, before we get too egger, would someone mind explaining what exactly that is?”
With her attention properly aligned, Arielle managed to get a few seconds head start on Pointy Ears. Momentarily, she had outstripped him, pushing through the dense leaves as they scratched at her face. Bursting into the circle of light, Arielle saw Yumiko curled up in the crook of a branch, a fuzzy creature on her lap.
Arielle shouted, “Yumiko!” waking the confused girl and sending the creature aloft.
Dropping to her knees, her weapons clanking about, Arielle seized Yumiko with a strangling hug. “Don’t you run off again,” She chided gently, releasing the sleepy Yumiko as Pointy Ears skidded to a stop, his bow knocked and ready. “What were you thinking?!”
Yumiko giggled, and finally getting a good look at the girl, Arielle noticed that somehow Yumiko’s clothes had changed into a comfortable blue yukata. She looked up, and with a sharp whistle from Yumiko, a cream-colored cat bounded down the branches, perching on the girl’s shoulder.
“The hell is this thing?” Arielle demanded neither a fan of pets or finding this a suitable reason for leaving the relative safety of Pointy Ear’s platform. Yumiko manhandled the poor beast off her shoulder, its claws digging into the cotton fabric.
“Neko!” Holding the cat up by the armpits, it looked quite uncomfortable and its head tilted to the side. Yumiko gleefully presented Neko to Arielle.
“Mew?” Neko asked.
Arielle pinched the bridge of her nose and passed the girl her sneakers. Yumiko slipped them on, and then nuzzled the cat while affectionately cooing endearments in Japanese.
“You’ve found her.” Niobe entered, her relief enveloping her whole being and peculating out to ease the others’ tension.
“Yeah.”
“Konichiwa!” Yumiko stood with Neko settling on her shoulder. Neko’s tail wrapped around and settled into the crook of her mistress’ neck.
Arielle smirked as the jedi and miko’s eyes met, knowing the miko’s face would soon resemble that of a child who’s seen a very shiny object. Turning to see what else was going on, she saw Abigail slowly making her way to the sturdier branches near the tree trunk, her wand out and grasping at anything close enough to support her. Frowning at initially missing Pointy Ears, she turned about only to find him exactly where she’d left him.
He was staring at something impressive. In fact, he was gaping and those penetrating blue eyes were fixed. Arielle made her way to his side, seeking what had caught his attention; not that she was expecting to see much. For some reason, he found the stupidest things fascinating. And he hadn’t even noticed her, right there, next to him.
Setting a hand on his shoulder, his head whipped around. “What is it?”
Pointy Ears then did something she hadn’t been expecting; he took her wrist and led her away from the group. His grip was gentle, though insistent and his hand was not unpleasantly cool. The two went a short ways onto the intertwining limbs of a neighboring tree. With reverence, he lowered a bough, placing an ugly, greyish leaf in her hand without plucking it. Arielle felt the unusually dry leaf, noting a few blemishes spotting the entire group. Once he felt she’d viewed the leaves long enough, he took her wrist again and led her back to the group. Arielle immediately got what it he’d meant. The tree Yumiko had slept on was now a brilliant white. Its leaves were a lustrous green. He drew another bough for her to examine and she smiled back, amused by the gentleness with which he touched the branches.
“Cool,” Arielle commented. “Yumiko’s got a cure for Fairyland Dutch-Elm disease.”
He said something then, but it was all Greek to Arielle, and his tone grew distinctly irritated. For an instant, she thought she saw disappointment flicker across his vision. There was simply no way she could understand what he said. It would be stupid and pointless, but she still felt like apologizing.
“Arielle, Tyelco,” Niobe called. The three other girls were standing up and moving out; Yumiko and Abigail helped each other navigate the tangle of branches.
“We are returning to the talan; the platform. If we are to attack, we will need a plan of action. Yumiko and Abigail need to sleep. I ought to as well, reluctant as I may be to put this off.”
“There isn’t time.” It had not occurred to Arielle that they’d be waiting.
“We need everyone, Arielle. If we are to succeed, we must see to our own well being.” Niobe reasoned.
“They could be dying. They could all be dead by morning.”
“Yes, this is so. But Abigail was right; we are no trained warriors.”
Yumiko giggled loudly, offering some rice cakes to Abigail who was scratching behind Neko’s ears.
“Thank you. So much better than peanuts!” Abigail said.
Niobe raised an eyebrow (Arielle was sure Niobe and Pointy Ears practiced), and then pointedly examined a scrape across Arielle’s shoulder. “Do try to remember that though we have been gifted, we have our human weaknesses.”
Cross, Arielle rubbed away some of the crusted blood on her arm and left the jedi and Pointy Ears to hold a silent conversation.
It was going to be a long night.
Neko (Japanese, or J) = Cat
Konichiwa[i/] (J) = Hello
[i]Talan (Sindarin, or S) = Elven tree platform
Boundaries of Mirkwood
Yumiko’s New Friend
Chapter 12
Yumiko was delightfully full. Spread over the family table was a feast for Obon; the food was rich and light, all delicious and delectable. Her rowdy family was finishing up desert. Somehow, her brother had gotten hold of a Popsicle and couldn’t refrain from poking her; once in the collarbone, once on her chin, then against her nose, but she couldn’t manage to bring her leaden hands up and swat him away. . .
With a start, Yumiko sat upright on her mat, upsetting the creamy ball of fur which had been sniffing her face. It ran to the edge of the platform and froze, terrified. Yumiko went still and wide eyed as well.
It was adorable! It was cuddly! It was bold and fuzzy! Yumiko decided she wanted one.
“Neko,” she cooed, motioning for the cream colored kitty with orange eyes to come over and sniff her fingers. “Neko,neko,neko,neko,neko.”
The kitty twitched her bushy tail and cocked her head, but came no closer. “Mew?” she meowed in question, trying to discern if this being whose breath faintly smelled of fish was friendly.
Yumiko remembered her bag. She slowly reached into it and drew out a tin of sardines. Curious, the kitty put a tentative paw foreword.
The tin popped open nosily. Frightened, the tree kitty skittered out onto a branch, making a run for it.
Yumiko would not be deterred! This was her first chance at having a real pet and she wasn’t about to give it up so easily. Fluidly slipping her backpack on, she took off into the maze of sturdy branches, barefoot and dewy-eyed. She’d have her pet, and with such a good bribe as yummy sardines she was confident she could achieve just that!
***
Arielle was ready to panic. The kid’s shoes were neatly set at the end of her mat with the blanket carelessly tossed over them. Why on earth would she venture off into a dangerous forest without shoes?
Arielle knew she shouldn’t follow. The others were meeting her here and it was enough that one person was lost and on their own; they didn’t need two. Yet sitting and doing nothing was not an acceptable alternative. Out of fruitless frustration, Arielle re-armed herself with her firearm and ammo, and slung the sword over her back. After pacing impatiently for an indistinguishable length of time, Arielle heard the sound of female voices going up the rope ladder from below. She practically stepped on Abigail as she slid down the trunk and landed near her heads.
“She’d gone!”
Abigail nearly lost her grip at the sight of someone free-falling directly upon her. After having fallen to her death, she hadn’t particularly looked foreword to climbing trees again. “What are you going on about?”
Characteristically, Arielle ignored the question and sought out Niobe who was following after the blonde.
“What has happened Arielle?”
“Yumiko! She’s not up there; Pointy Ears, oh hell, Tyelco.”
He immediately went alert, circumvented the other girls, and lightly leapt onto her branch. After all the condescension, his unitary attentiveness was a bit unnerving. With exaggerative gestures, Arielle motioned upward. “We have a problem. Yumiko. Gone.”
Without a single facial expression, he reached down and gathered the terrified, very vocal Abigail into his arms without a complaint on his end.
Thoughts seemed to be exchanged between the jedi and Pointy Ears. After a moment, he nodded to Arielle, and together they began climbing up through the branches.
“No, no, not good! Don’t jump that!” Abigail shrieked as Pointy Ears easily sprung up again and again as though he had no burden at all. Momentarily, they reached the top. Abigail gratefully slinked to the center of the platform upon being set down.
Pointy Ears knelt beside the mat where Yumiko had slept, analyzing the area. His eyes swept back and forth. It was as though he could see something Arielle could not.
“Look.” Arielle pointed out the dusty paw prints and with a finger. He nodded, then directed her to the faintest claw marks in the tree bark, leading away. Indeed, he could she what she could not
Behind her, there was a light thump. Gracefully, Niobe rose over the ledge and her eyes latching to Pointy Ear’s. It was like watching an impromptu staring competition. Arielle snatched up Yumiko’s dainty, dirty sneakers unable to stand the silence.
“We’re going after her,” Arielle stated.
Niobe nodded, turning to Arielle. “Tyelco can see her trail. He will lead us. She doesn’t appear to be in immediate danger.”
“You—we’re going where?” Abigail questioned apprehensively.
Arielle wanted to slap her. So what if Yumiko had wandered off on her own? Just because it wasn’t Abigail’s friend out there, alone, in a forest with mutant spiders didn’t mean she should be left to her folly.
Niobe replied to the query before Arielle could say anything rash. “I will assist you, Abigail. We’re going out onto the branches.”
Sighing heavily, Abigail drew her wand. “I used to climb rock walls and trees all the time. It seems plummeting to my death has altered my fondness. We are coming back for my bicycle, aren’t we?”
To hell with your damn bicycle.
Arielle hurried out into the canopy after Pointy Ears, leaving Niobe and Abigail to converse softly behind them. He moved confidently with his eyes fixed on the invisible trail before him and she followed dutifully behind, accepting his ability to find the trace of Yumiko. There was a twinge in her chest; this was the first time she openly appreciated his presence instead of resenting it, and that was an awkward mental shift.
With both Arielle and Pointy Ears watching the trail, Abigail was the first to notice the faint pink glow a good distance ahead. “Excuse me, before we get too egger, would someone mind explaining what exactly that is?”
With her attention properly aligned, Arielle managed to get a few seconds head start on Pointy Ears. Momentarily, she had outstripped him, pushing through the dense leaves as they scratched at her face. Bursting into the circle of light, Arielle saw Yumiko curled up in the crook of a branch, a fuzzy creature on her lap.
Arielle shouted, “Yumiko!” waking the confused girl and sending the creature aloft.
Dropping to her knees, her weapons clanking about, Arielle seized Yumiko with a strangling hug. “Don’t you run off again,” She chided gently, releasing the sleepy Yumiko as Pointy Ears skidded to a stop, his bow knocked and ready. “What were you thinking?!”
Yumiko giggled, and finally getting a good look at the girl, Arielle noticed that somehow Yumiko’s clothes had changed into a comfortable blue yukata. She looked up, and with a sharp whistle from Yumiko, a cream-colored cat bounded down the branches, perching on the girl’s shoulder.
“The hell is this thing?” Arielle demanded neither a fan of pets or finding this a suitable reason for leaving the relative safety of Pointy Ear’s platform. Yumiko manhandled the poor beast off her shoulder, its claws digging into the cotton fabric.
“Neko!” Holding the cat up by the armpits, it looked quite uncomfortable and its head tilted to the side. Yumiko gleefully presented Neko to Arielle.
“Mew?” Neko asked.
Arielle pinched the bridge of her nose and passed the girl her sneakers. Yumiko slipped them on, and then nuzzled the cat while affectionately cooing endearments in Japanese.
“You’ve found her.” Niobe entered, her relief enveloping her whole being and peculating out to ease the others’ tension.
“Yeah.”
“Konichiwa!” Yumiko stood with Neko settling on her shoulder. Neko’s tail wrapped around and settled into the crook of her mistress’ neck.
Arielle smirked as the jedi and miko’s eyes met, knowing the miko’s face would soon resemble that of a child who’s seen a very shiny object. Turning to see what else was going on, she saw Abigail slowly making her way to the sturdier branches near the tree trunk, her wand out and grasping at anything close enough to support her. Frowning at initially missing Pointy Ears, she turned about only to find him exactly where she’d left him.
He was staring at something impressive. In fact, he was gaping and those penetrating blue eyes were fixed. Arielle made her way to his side, seeking what had caught his attention; not that she was expecting to see much. For some reason, he found the stupidest things fascinating. And he hadn’t even noticed her, right there, next to him.
Setting a hand on his shoulder, his head whipped around. “What is it?”
Pointy Ears then did something she hadn’t been expecting; he took her wrist and led her away from the group. His grip was gentle, though insistent and his hand was not unpleasantly cool. The two went a short ways onto the intertwining limbs of a neighboring tree. With reverence, he lowered a bough, placing an ugly, greyish leaf in her hand without plucking it. Arielle felt the unusually dry leaf, noting a few blemishes spotting the entire group. Once he felt she’d viewed the leaves long enough, he took her wrist again and led her back to the group. Arielle immediately got what it he’d meant. The tree Yumiko had slept on was now a brilliant white. Its leaves were a lustrous green. He drew another bough for her to examine and she smiled back, amused by the gentleness with which he touched the branches.
“Cool,” Arielle commented. “Yumiko’s got a cure for Fairyland Dutch-Elm disease.”
He said something then, but it was all Greek to Arielle, and his tone grew distinctly irritated. For an instant, she thought she saw disappointment flicker across his vision. There was simply no way she could understand what he said. It would be stupid and pointless, but she still felt like apologizing.
“Arielle, Tyelco,” Niobe called. The three other girls were standing up and moving out; Yumiko and Abigail helped each other navigate the tangle of branches.
“We are returning to the talan; the platform. If we are to attack, we will need a plan of action. Yumiko and Abigail need to sleep. I ought to as well, reluctant as I may be to put this off.”
“There isn’t time.” It had not occurred to Arielle that they’d be waiting.
“We need everyone, Arielle. If we are to succeed, we must see to our own well being.” Niobe reasoned.
“They could be dying. They could all be dead by morning.”
“Yes, this is so. But Abigail was right; we are no trained warriors.”
Yumiko giggled loudly, offering some rice cakes to Abigail who was scratching behind Neko’s ears.
“Thank you. So much better than peanuts!” Abigail said.
Niobe raised an eyebrow (Arielle was sure Niobe and Pointy Ears practiced), and then pointedly examined a scrape across Arielle’s shoulder. “Do try to remember that though we have been gifted, we have our human weaknesses.”
Cross, Arielle rubbed away some of the crusted blood on her arm and left the jedi and Pointy Ears to hold a silent conversation.
It was going to be a long night.
Neko (Japanese, or J) = Cat
Konichiwa[i/] (J) = Hello
[i]Talan (Sindarin, or S) = Elven tree platform
Subtitles
- Darkness and Starlight
- Abigail of Wellington
- Niobe of St. Andrews
- Arielle of Cedar Brook
- Yumiko of Shinjuku
- The Banks of River Running
- Stiff and Stark
- Screams in the Dark
- The Red Bird
- Many Meetings
- Night Fight
- Yumiko's New Friend
- A Mind of One's Own
- Running in Circles
- The Price for Revenge
- The Coming Night
- It Speaks English!
- Fragile Things: I
- Lull