I awoke, a little groggy still from the night before. A pounding headache felt like it was going to split my head in half. Was it all the alcohol I had consumed last night? I wondered. Hyaku seemed to want me to drink, but I hadn't taken any notice and just kept drinking what he handed me.
Groaning, I squinted my eyes against the sunlight shining into my room. Ugh, I fell back onto the bed; maybe I could just curl back to sleep and meet up with Hyaku and the others in a few hours. From the way the sun was situated, I had to say it was mid morning already.
Speaking of Hyaku, where was he? I used my sense of hearing to search the entire house for his voice. I shrugged when I didn't hear him. Maybe he was just in the study going over some more plans for the upcoming battle or something. Wait, I couldn't hear anyone training. Maybe they were on a short break.
Getting up, I hurriedly got dressed. I needed to get to training as well. Sighing, I made my way down the hallway. I opened the door to Hyaku's study, which was empty. Shrugging, I made my way over to the temple to talk with Hana, but she wasn't there.
"Hana!" I called out into the temple. I couldn't sense her anywhere. Hurrying into the main house, I looked through all of the rooms, not finding Lin, Hyaku, Koori, or Hana anywhere. The soldiers were all gone as well. They had left to go find Shun without me.
Hurrying back into my room, changed into battle gear. If he thought I was going to sit here and wait for him to come back, he had better think again. I went to the armory where I was intercepted by a servant. "Where are Hyaku, Hana, Koori, and the others?" I demanded of her. I was angry, not at her, but at Hyaku for leaving me behind when I could go and fight alongside of him.
"Well, my Lady, they have left," she replied innocently.
I growled at her as I shoved a sword into my belt. "I know that much. Tell me which direction they went in and how long ago they left. I need to catch up to them."
"I was instructed not to tell you anything," she told me nervously.
"Are you kidding?" I shouted. "Look, you better tell me right now, or I won't hesitate to kill you." She hesitated, looking into my eyes. "I like Hyaku a lot. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if he died out there while I stayed here and waited."
She looked down before speaking. "They took off to the North early this morning. They have a solid three or four hours on you."
I grabbed some knives, placing them in my boot and in my sleeves strategically. "Then I best hurry, huh?" I said before I took off in the direction I had been given. I'd be damned if I wasn't going to fight.
