Chapter Five: Companion Trapped in Aching Dreams

 

            *Hiiro was hot and dead on his feet. For the middle of May it was hot. This year would no doubt be a scorching summer. He was out in the middle of the first of his three fields, surveying the plowing that was finally about to begin. While he would not be doing the plowing, he would be the one planting the seeds. One by one he would place the seeds in the deep cool earth, so they would each have the best chance they could to grow and flourish. Behind him another serf would cover the seed back over, and behind him still another serf would water each seed individually. Hiiro had planned just so that he would be done with his two fields by first week of June. It gave him the perfect window of opportunity.

            But now the scorching heat was becoming intolerable. Never before had he spent so long in such heat. Unusual for this part of England, Hiiro had thought it would be cool during the planting season this year. Now he was finding out differently. But what more could he do? If it was hot out in these fields, it would be hotter inside his home. Nowhere could he hide from the burning sun. The forest of trees on the other side of the fief might give him some shade, and the lake certainly would be cool… the lake. A perfect idea. He could take a quick swim, and be back in time to supervise the end of the first few plowed rows.

            “Vaughn.” Hiiro called to a serf.

            “Yes my Lord?” The short servant stepped forward.

            “I’m going to head out east, towards the forest. I’ll be back by this afternoon.”

            “Of course my Lord.”

            “See to it that the field is at least one third of the way plowed by the time I return.”

            “As you wish my Lord. Do you wish for some company?”

            “No.” With that, Hiiro mounted his horse and began to slowly wheel out of sight. The servant shook his head behind him. This new Lord was a hard worker and quick study, but if he wanted to succeed at being the Lord of this fief, he would need to loosen up. The serf quickly turned his thoughts away from his Lord and onto a topic that was slightly more pleasant to think about in the suffocating heat.

            He never gave a thought to what the new Lady of the house might be like- she was still barricaded in her room, refusing to come out. As long as she stayed in there and didn’t interrupt the normal routine of daily life in the home, she was not given a thought. Serena on the other hand…

 Just the name set all of the serfs spinning. Where she had come from, no one could tell. She looked vaguely familiar, but no one could place her. Apparently she had just ‘appeared’ one day in the citadel, and since then she had made quite an impression. Her beauty had left the men in a daze, and the woman spoke of nothing but her kindness and willingness to pitch in around the household. She had a short attention span, and tired of things rather quickly: the women said they had never seen her sit still for more than a few moments without something to occupy her fidgeting hands. Still, she was a change from the usual dullness of the citadel. And so the serf thought on about the lovely young woman who had appeared so strangely.

Hiiro continued his slow pace, enjoying the feel of freedom that flowed through his veins. The day was hot, that much was true. But for some reason, now that he wasn’t trapped watching over the fields, he didn’t feel so hot and confined. Barely smirking, he urged his horse into a slight trot, then moved it up a notch to a canter, and still another notch to a full gallop. As the wind raced through his hair brushing it out of his face, his heart beat speed and he dared to let go a full bright smile of exhilaration. Slowing his horse as they reached the edge of the trees, he realized how wonderful it felt not to be caged and barred in, such as he had been kept his whole life before the death of his father.

Hiiro sighed and let his smile go. A stiff, cool facade took its place, and his mind wandered to the other problems at home. Such as his new wife. He hadn’t seen her since the wedding. He assumed it was her way of trying to punish him for marrying her, and that she was probably sulking for not have a larger dowry placed upon her. Still, how long would she continue this foolish and childish temper tantrum of hers? He would have liked to know that while he was in the fields during this season she was at home, in charge. Of course, now because of her selfishness, he had had to burden Rachel by putting her in charge. Rachel was old and had enough duties as it was, let alone adding all of the extra ones Serenity should have taken responsibility for.

But what of this new woman, what had Rachel been saying of her? Serena? She was an enigma. He really had no idea where she had come from, and had originally thought perhaps he should throw her out, but due to Rachel’s pleading for him to leave her be, he had left her alone. He knew whenever his servants got a wistful look in their eyes now a days they were usually thinking of her. He knew that Rachel and the other women in the citadel thought she was incredibly helpful, cheerful and sweet, but that they also thought she was hard to please. Perhaps that was not the correct term. They did not mean she was hard to please, just that she was restless and always looking for something new and intriguing to try. What kind of a woman acted in such a manner as that, Hiiro Yui did not know. The again, Hiiro Yui did not know many women, only the few who were his serfs, his vassal’s wives, and of course, his own ‘wife’.

Hiiro noticed a rock and saw that he was close to the lake than he had expected to be by this time. As he neared, he heard what he thought to be laughter. He shucked the crazy idea away, thinking it was only the heat dancing in his head. However, when he reached the lake and saw the woman’s dress hung over the low tree branch he usually placed his things on, the situation took on new dimensions.

Looking over the lake, he could spy no woman , animal, or being swimming in it. Then, he caught a glimpse of movement to his side, slightly across the lake from him. There, in the broad daylight and blazing sun, was the woman he had met as Serena. She was stripped down to her undershirt and bloomers, and climbing up a pile of rocks. Hiiro watched as she made it to the top of the pile, then smile devilishly and dove off of it into the lake. Never before had he thought of jumping into the lake from the rocks… never before had he thought he would see a woman doing it before him! He once again observed her as she popped her head out of the water and laughed. The light giggle floated around his head and through his ears, enticing him to watch her more closely. The nymph like woman pulled herself up onto the rocks again and once more jumped off, causing a huge splash. She shook her head and swam in a circle. Hiiro had to end this.

“Serena.” He called slightly. At her name, she looked up. Seeing her husband watching her on horseback, she gave a short scream, then swam for the opposite shore. Why she swam away from him, when the house and her clothes were near him, she could not figure out. All she knew was that she desperately wanted to be as far away form him as possible. She would not let him cage her. So she swam. And swam. And swam. When had the lake become so wide? It had seemed too small before. Her arms were getting numb, her legs could hardly move. Her head was muddled and with each breath she lifted it to take, she felt more and more like lead.

Hiiro saw the lovely woman scream in horror, fear, scream in something at his appearance and begin to swim away. What was she thinking? Was she going to try to swim across the lake? It had taken him an entire summer to build up enough muscle strength and stamina to perform such a feat. He watched her continue. She was doing well so far, but was she slowing down now? Yes, in fact, her breaths were becoming longer and more forced as well. Hiiro knew she needed help. Foolish woman. Thinking she could possibly swim the lake. Hiiro pulled off his boots and the light cotton shirt he had been wearing. Jumping in after her, he swam towards the woman who was almost two-thirds of the way across the lake.

Just struggling to breathe was becoming harder and harder. Serena gasped for air, then gulped as she felt herself sink, weighted down by her heavily soaked clothes. It was completely cool and weightless under the water. She felt comfortable and soon relaxed. Then she realized there was no air. By that time, however, she was sunk. Flailing wildly, she tried to claw herself to the surface. A large, warm hand grabbed hers and she felt someone tug hard at her. She rose to the surface and gasped the crisp air in.

“Hold on.” A deep voice whispered into her ear. So she held on, afraid of what would happen should she let go. The cool water began to rush around her as she felt her rescuer pulling her through the water. Finally her feet began to drag along the bottom of the lake, her bare feet felt the mushy mud squish between her toes. Her rescuer drop his hold on her, and she, gasping for her breath, crawled onto the mossy bank and sat down. What was going to happen now? What was he going to do to her? Why had he bothered to save her in the first place?

“Are you alright?” Hiiro croaked, his own lungs burning slightly. It wasn’t that the task of swimming the lake was so physically taxing on him, it was more that he had gone faster than he had ever gone before, and to add to the pace, he had dragged a heavy bundle as well. But he had been surprised to find that even though she had been submerged for almost a minute before he had reached her that after he had pulled her up she had had the energy and strength to help him by kicking her own legs. Most women didn’t even know how to swim, much less have the strength to swim as much as she had.

“Fine.” She muttered, looking down at her scanty attire and blushing.

“Your welcome for saving your life.” Hiiro nodded coolly.

“Excuse me?” She shot her head up venomously.

“I said your welcome for saving your life.” By now he was standing and looking out over the lake, hardly paying her any attention at all.

“I heard you the first time.” She lashed out. He whipped his head around to face her.

“Then why did you ask me to repeat myself?” He inquired. They began walking around the lake in the direction of their clothes and his horse.

“Because I just couldn’t believe your nerve. I mean, where do you get off ruining my nice, peaceful swim, scaring me half way to heaven, and then saying that I’m welcome?” Hiiro winced at her voice. It was so shrill all of a sudden, so condescending.

“You were drowning.” He replied monotonously. What did he care about this woman? And whom did she think she was yelling at him as she was?

“I was drowning because you scared me in the first place!” She huffed. “And besides. I wasn’t drowning, merely resting.”

“You were so tired you could hardly swim by the time I reached you. You were drowning.” He countered.

“Yes. And now here I am, stuck with, you, of all people, and an entire lake away from both my clothes and my home. Thank you so much!” She spoke, her voice getting louder and louder until she was shouting by the end.

“Excuse me for rescuing you.” He shot back, raising his voice slightly.

“No.” She refused.

“What?” he stopped, looking dubiously at her disappearing form.

“You heard me. I said, no, I don’t excuse you for rescuing me.”

“I heard you. But I can’t believe you. And Rachel said you were sweet.”

“Oh, so you recognize me now then?”

“Of course. You’re Serena, the girl I met in the quad a month ago. The one who appeared mysteriously form no where and has been living off of my food and home since then!” Never before had Hiiro yelled. Even when a servant had made him angry, he had never yelled. It almost was fun. No. Scratch that thought. This woman was a royal pain, anyway he looked at the situation. And who did she think she was, now that he was thinking about it.

“Serena? The girl you met in the quad?” She gave a short laugh. “You’re one in the same million of pathetic fools out there.” She shook her head and continued. They were finally back to their clothes.

“I’m a fool now am I?” He yelled as he tried to find his shirt and boots. She was already almost finished with dressing.

“Of course, what else would a slime like yourself be, prey tell?”

“I am the Lord of the fief of…” She cut him off.

“Blue Crest. I know.” She finished for him as she tied her last bootlace.

“And who do you think you are?” He yelled at her, as he fumbled to put on his last boot.

“I’ll tell you something, Lord Yui.” She mounted his horse with ease. “I’m your new wife, Serenity Jacobs. Have a nice walk home. I’ll be sure to tell Rachel why you’re so late. Your arrogance, am I not correct?” She wheeled the horse around and urged him into a gallop. As she rode hard, she broke into  laughter. Childish, faeryish laughter that once again entranced Hiiro. As she laughed and rode, she called back out to him. “Have a nice walk back home, dear!” With that echoing in the lake’s clearing, she dashed out of sight. Hiiro simply stood, one boot missing, hair dripping drops of water down his face, and completely stunned. *