Lone Wolf

By Bella Lamounier

Chapter 4 – The Battle (Within)

No moment in a battle is more terrifying than when the opponents face each other in the battlefield, right before the bloodshed starts. It is a moment of fear, of loneliness, of not knowing for certain whether one will survive to see the next sunrise.

It is a moment of missing your loved ones, of regretting your sins, of admitting your own mistakes.

In the moment you stand in front of your enemy, ready or not to kill or to die… In that moment, you have to face yourself.

There is no escaping that last moment of self-judgment.

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The Norman troops had marched from Hastings to London and had been forced to change the aim of their attack, due to resistance in the London Bridge. Now, facing the city from the northwest side, Sasuke looked around the battlefield as the Norman troops organized themselves under the command of their lords. In the distance, they could see the Saxon troops approaching, led by the powerful lords that controlled England even more than their late king had.

These men will be great assets to William when he finally rules, Sasuke thought, if they don’t get killed today, that is.

The hornets sounded, marking the beginning of the confrontation that would define the future of this land and its people. Sasuke mounted his horse and rode to until he stood before his own soldiers.

He looked intently at their faces, taking in the nervous expressions, the naively excited ones, the fierce looks and the terrified ones.

“I shall not come to you on this day with speeches of how you must not be afraid. Be afraid and learn from it to never take things for granted, but do not succumb to fear. Courageous is not the overly confident man, but the one who admits his own fear and faces it.” He looked from one soldier to the other, never losing eye contact. “We are warriors and war is what we do. We go into this battle with our duty fulfilled, so have peace to look forward to. I fight alongside you, in triumph or in death. Let no one ever call us cowards! We shall live in glory or go down trying!”

“Long live William! Long live the Wolf!” Naruto shouted and the men followed suit. Sasuke approached him.

“I’ll see you on the other side, I hope.”

“You can bet on that.” Naruto grinned. Sasuke smiled slightly and turned his horse. The hornets sounded again, the last warning they would have. The Saxons were so close now that they could hear their war cries.

“Fight!” Sasuke shouted along with all the other commanders. The knights spurred their horses forward and the soldiers on foot ran, their own thoughts smothered by the force of their own war cries.

And on they marched, to victory or to death.

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In the darkest hour of the night, as the castle of Arundel slept deeply, a group of about thirty armed men crossed silently through the grounds.

Kiba’s satisfied smirk was concealed by the darkness. They had just managed to take out the guard that had been watching the weaponry and steal enough swords to seize control over the Norman soldiers. If all went well and his plan worked, soon they would have the invaders at their mercy.

He stopped and hid against the wall as a lone Norman passed by. Hitting the butt of his sword against the back of the man’s head, he made a gesture for his men to continue.

But soon his satisfaction turned into worry as he realized that no other soldiers seemed to be about, which was strange even for nighttime. As they entered the great room where the warriors slept, they found no men lying in the cots, even at such an hour.

He quickly reached the logical conclusion and took a step back, but it was a second too slow. Even as raised his sword and turned to bellow a warning, a flash of movement intercepted him.

“Get back! It’s a trap!” He yelled at the men, but then felt the cold steel against his neck. As he looked up into Kakashi’s masked face, he gritted his teeth, angry that they had been defeated before they even had a chance. He started to raise his sword, but the captain’s blade pressed more firmly against his skin.

“I wouldn’t try that, if I were you.” Kakashi’s low voice warned. “My men have yours at sword-point.” Kiba looked around and realized he was right. The Saxons were in the process of surrendering their weapons, preferring to yield than to risk a fight while he was vulnerable. Damn it! Kiba thought. Kakashi turned to Genma. “Go and check on the watchman at the weaponry deposit, as it seems these rebels were using our own blades. And see if you can find Abumi, will you?” The man nodded and rushed off to do so.

“It was that stupid girl, wasn’t it? She sold us out. I should have known better than to trust women to keep their mouths shut.” Kiba grumbled hatefully.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, but if you must know, it was your strange behavior in the last few days that tipped me off. And the fact that you’ve been too friendly with that snake Abumi, of course.” Kakashi’s voice was amiable enough, but his expression was nothing of the kind. “I do not hold my position because of my looks, boy, though my beautiful wife would hopefully disagree. You are not the first to try to sneak up on the men under my command, and you won’t be the last.” The sword that had been forcing Kiba’s head back was lowered and kept over his heart for precaution.

“We have the right to take Arundel back! You were the ones that stole it from us.” Kiba threw back, glaring at the silver-haired captain.

“You disregard the last decision your lord took as Arundel’s liege and now you make a disloyal attempt against Lord Sasuke’s claim, the man who will soon be lord over this place and already has the power to decide your fate. You risk too much, boy, with your insubordination.” Kakashi warned.

“I’m not a boy, the Wolf is not my liege and never will be! I owe him no loyalty, nothing but contempt and revenge.” Kiba answered and Kakashi merely narrowed his eyes. The soldiers around listened avidly to see what Kakashi’s answer would be, but at that moment, they were interrupted.

“Sir Kakashi.” Genma ran in. “Sir, the men that were hurt will be fine, but Zaku Abumi is nowhere to be found.”

“Damn it! The bastard is sneakier than I thought.”

At that moment, a feminine voice was heard from the top of the stairs.

“What is going on? Why are you making such a racket?” Sakura was standing there, looking as if she had dressed hastily and trembling slightly. Hinata was right behind her and helped steady her lady. Sakura ran her eyes over the men quickly, assessing the damage and understanding the situation. It was as she feared. “I… I heard shouting.”

“My lady.” Kakashi bowed courteously even though he didn’t have to, considering her fallen position. “It is nothing for you to worry about, I have it under control. So you may go back to your rooms, if you wish-“

“You bitch! What did they promise you, hn? A pretty gown in exchange for our heads? A Norman husband, maybe? A specific Norman?” Kiba interrupted nastily, his voice filled with cruel sarcasm.

“I… Wh… Y-You can’t believe I have anything to do with this!” Sakura stuttered, shocked.

“Damn right I do!” And he spit on the ground, his action a clearer insult than any word could express.

“That’s enough.” Another voice sounded from behind Hinata. Lord Alden came out of the shadows to stand beside his daughter and everybody held a collective breath. “I am sorry, Kiba, that you feel that my decisions were wrong and that I disappointed the people of Arundel. But I will not allow you to insult my daughter so! You may no longer respect me as your lord, but you shall always treat Lady Sakura as a noblewoman, a lady, as she was raised to be. You will not dishonor me further by forgetting your place.”

Kiba’s face was bitter, but loyalty and respect won in the end. “I apologize, my lord.” He looked at Sakura stiffly. “My lady.”

“Take them to the dungeons now. And put the shackles on, so we don’t make the same mistake again.” Kakashi interfered, cutting the confrontation. The Saxon men were dragged off to the dungeons, where they would wait until Sasuke’s return for their punishment to be decided.

“Come now, my lady. You should rest.” Hinata said, pulling Sakura gently by the arm. The pink-haired girl followed as if in a daze, Kiba’s words in her ears and tears in her eyes. I should have stopped them! And now… There is no way the Lone Wolf will sentence them to anything but death!

She glanced at her father, who looked older and more tired than she had ever seen him. He seemed to be in deep thought.

“Father?” She said quietly. He looked at her, seeming startled for a second, but then he smiled gently.

“Why don’t you go with Hinata? All will be fine.” He said, kissing her forehead and descending the stairs to meet Kakashi, who waited for him. She stared at his back for a moment before sighing and following her companion. There was nothing she could do until Sasuke arrived.

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Sasuke ran a hand over his forehead to wipe away the sweat, sank the sword on the ground and looked around the battlefield intently.

Death was everywhere. After years of battles on his shoulders, it shouldn’t bother him anymore, but it still did. He remembered well the first time he had killed in battle. His sword had plunged into the soldier’s side before the man could chop off his head. His fellow warriors and even the Duke had congratulated him for his bravery and outstanding performance in his first experience with the battlefield. He had been only sixteen, and the enemy he killed hadn’t been much older than that.

Much time later, when he was alone, he had thrown up, the man’s screams of agony stuck in his head.

Well, at least I don’t do that anymore. He thought sardonically, the shadow of a smirk quirking the side of his lips.

The Saxon warriors that had actually survived had retreated, admitting defeat, at least for the time being. The situation was well under control, it seemed.

Naruto approached him from the left, and Sasuke stood straighter, taking his sword off the ground.

“I see you’ve survived. Hn.” He said with an expressionless face that did nothing to hide the provocation in his words.

“There was no doubt about that! I’m going to be the strongest warrior of all times, after all!” Naruto said arrogantly, stopping in front of Sasuke.

“Right. Just don’t daydream too much, or you may trip on your own feet.” Sasuke mocked, walking around Naruto to see how many of his men were standing and how many were hurt. He didn’t think many men had fallen, though; still, they would get the honorable ceremony they deserved.

Naruto quickly followed. “Where are we going next?”

Sasuke slowed down, a little smile on his lips as he thought about it. “Home. We’re going home.”

As they passed the defense line into the area where the hurt had been taken, another Norman lord approached them, holding an envelope in his hand.

“Lord Uchiha.” He said, nodding respectfully at Sasuke and then greeting Naruto. “Sir Naruto.” He turned back do Sasuke. “I am relieved to see you alive, though not surprised.”

“You too, Lord Nara.” Sasuke answered with a nod of his own. Shikamaru was an honorable man, one of the few worthy of the Lone Wolf’s trust.

“This is for you. From Lord William.” He handed him the envelope. “He says to hurry back to your new lands and accomplish whatever mission he gave you quickly.”

Sasuke picked the letter silently and thanked Shikamaru with a gesture of his head.

“If you’ll excuse me, I have a troublesome blond she-devil in my tent to take care of.” His expression was annoyed, but something told Sasuke that whoever this female was, she had his friend deeply intrigued. “Ride safely.” And then the Norman continued on his path, leaving the other two. Sasuke opened the letter and read its content, his expression growing darker by the second.

”What is it?” Naruto asked curiously. Sasuke folded the parchment and sighed.

“It seems that we won’t have the chance to settle down in Arundel for a while.” But he didn’t explain his words as he headed to where his troops’ tents had been set up, intent on making the arrangements to leave for Arundel as soon as possible.

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Though it’s true that there is nothing that makes a warrior feel so alive as the heat of battle, it’s also true that it doesn’t take the value of going home.

So, even though Arundel didn’t feel like home yet, it was a relief for the men to see the stone walls getting nearer as they rode in the direction of the castle, since it was the closest they would get to home in that foreign land.

But that feeling was smothered by the heavy mood that seemed to dominate the place as Sasuke rode through the gates of Arundel with his soldiers and was received with somber stares and worried silence by the Saxon villagers.

The guard that lowered the bridge bowed to him, taking his attention from the people that quickly found other places to be. “My lord, it’s a relief to see you.” The man said. “Sir Kakashi has some urgent matters to present to you.”

“Is that so?” Sasuke raised an eyebrow. “Does it explain why everyone is acting so strangely?”

“…Yes, my lord, it does.” The guard squirmed awkwardly. “But Sir Kakashi should be the one to tell you, lord Sasuke.”

“I shall look for him, then.” Sasuke spurred his black stallion forward, being followed closely by Naruto.

“What the hell happened here?” Naruto grumbled. “It’s as if they are… wary of us.”

Wary of me, I’d guess. Sasuke thought, narrowing his eyes. Kakashi has some explaining to do.

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In his study, Sasuke paced in front of Kakashi with a scowl on his face. Naruto stood to the side, unwilling to stay at reaching distance of the nobleman.

“…And now they are in the dungeons, awaiting your judgment.” Kakashi finished his report, watching Sasuke intently.

“Damn it!” Sasuke punched the table and ran a hand through his hair, staring at the wall. “This makes everything more difficult. I have no choice but to punish them.” With death. That was the complement left hanging in the air.

“And there is something else.” Kakashi said carefully and the Wolf turned sharply with narrowed eyes.

“What else can there be?” Naruto grumbled with an exasperated sigh.

“It’s Lady Sakura.” Kakashi continued. “Kiba implied that she was involved in the attempt to take Arundel. Since there was no way for me to be sure, I had to imprison her as well.”

“You put her in the dungeons?” Sasuke asked dangerously, taking a step closer so that they stood almost chest to chest.

“Of course not. She is a lady and I know better.” Kakashi replied, raising an eyebrow. At the captain’s knowing look, Sasuke shot him a warning glare. “I put her in her rooms with her lady-in-waiting. I’m sure you’ll want to interrogate her later, but I would like to talk to you about the Saxon men.”

“You may speak.” Sasuke sat at his desk, leaned back on the chair and listened intently.

“You’ve known me for a long time now. I’ve seen you grow into a man and a warrior and, through that, I’ve always had my say when I thought you needed to hear it.”

“Yes, you always have an opinion about everything.” Sasuke replied ironically, crossing his arms. Kakashi smiled a little, seeing the respect that was hidden beneath the indifferent act.

“And that’s why I tell you now to think carefully about the punishment you are going deal these men. They are determined men, loyal to their own and very worthy of having on your side.”

“But he can’t ever be sure that they’ve truly turned their loyalty to him.” Naruto observed and Sasuke silently agreed.

“Well, it’s up to Lord Sasuke to earn their trust. But, Sasuke, think about it. You do have a choice here. You can either execute them and be done with it, or make them pay for their crime, but not with their lives, and gain at least honor-bound allies.”

Sasuke thought for a moment with his head lowered and a hand on his chin. Then he raised his eyes to Kakashi’s.

“Your advice is wise and has merit, but I do need to think on it. I will consider it most carefully.” He stood up and walked to the door. “But now I shall have a talk with Lady Sakura and find out exactly what was her part in this.”

Just before he went through the door, Kakashi called his attention. “Be gentle with the lady.” He said, smiling enigmatically.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. “I’m going to interrogate her, not deflower her.”

“Well, he could have fooled me by the way he’s been acting around that girl.” Naruto snickered and ran across the room at the sight of Sasuke’s dangerous glare.

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Sasuke knocked impatiently on the door to Sakura’s room and waited as the muffled sound of scurried steps was followed by the turning of the key in the lock.

Lady Hinata opened the door slightly and looked at him with wide eyes, leaving the smallest space she could as to not let him see inside the room.

“M-my lord! You have arrived.” She stuttered, looking at the ground.

“Lady Hinata. I’d like to speak with Lady Sakura.” He said impassively.

“O-oh, no! You cannot, right now. She-“ Hinata stopped talking and blushed. “She is currently indisposed, you see.”

“My lady, you are a terrible liar.” He retorted, putting a hand on the door to push it open.

“W-what? It’s not a lie, my lord.” She said weakly, blushing even further.

“Your face gets even more red than usual when you have to lie. I’d say that’s the result of Lady Sakura’s mischievous nature imposing on your naïve one.” Sasuke concluded and pushed the door as Hinata put a hand to her red cheek as if trying to make it go back to its normal paleness.

Sasuke’s eyes scanned the room briefly before he identified Sakura’s form behind the dressing screen.

“I realize one does not learn the proper etiquette in battlefields, my lord, but I must tell you, it’s not appropriate for a man to enter a lady’s room when she is getting dressed.” Sakura said from behind the almost transparent screen.

“Your lady-in-waiting did not specify what kind of indisposition you had.” Sasuke could see her raise her arms as Hinata hurried to help her into her gown.

“Yes, well, that would have been rather embarrassing, don’t you think?”

It was even more embarrassing that the black silhouette behind a dressing screen aroused him more than any woman’s naked skin ever had.

He shook his head, focusing on the matter at hand. Turning to Hinata, he barked an order. “Leave us.” The girl actually looked relieved to be able to leave as she rushed to the door, closing it quietly behind her.

“We need to talk about the incident that took place a few nights ago.” He explained and she calmly stepped out from behind the screen to face him.

“Yes, I expected that.”

“Well, then. I’ll be straightforward. Were you involved in the attempt to take the castle?” Sasuke asked with his cold eyes on Sakura.

“No.” She answered simply, sitting in a chair in front of the hearth.

“Were you tempted to get involved?” He asked, walking to stand right in front of her. His dark form towering over her was already rather intimidating, even if one ignored the cold look and the arms crossed over a muscular chest that dared her to lie.

“Well…” She looked at him. “Yes.”

That seemed to amuse him a little, she noticed, for his eyes had eased.

“Well, then, why didn’t you?”

“That is none of your business, is it now? Can’t I have a bit of privacy even in my mind?” She answered cheekily. He smirked.

“I can make you talk, you know.” He said, leaning forward until his hands rested in the arms of her chair, trapping her.

“Well, bring it on, you big bad wolf.” She retorted, crossing her arms.

“Oh, not now.” He replied, getting closer to her until they were nose to nose. “But when I do, you won’t even see me coming.”

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“So… You have deserted Lord Wulf’s troops after stirring a rebellion among the Saxon warriors in Arundel, is that it?” The snake-like eyes glinted at Zaku.

“Yes, my lord. And the traitor lashed me for approaching a stupid Saxon whore, even though I am Norman like him.” He said venomously.

“Well, isn’t that interesting? But then again, he always had a thing for these primitive people. Look at his little Viking guard dog, for example.” The man flicked his long black hair, leaning back on his chair.

“It’s that girl, I tell you!”

“What girl?” Lord Orochimaru asked dangerously, narrowing his eyes.

“Lady Sakura of Arundel, she is Alden Ethelstan’s pretty little daughter.” Zaku spit on the floor. “The bitch.”

Orochimaru laughed as if the information was hilarious, adding even more to the insane image Zaku had of him.

“Well, well, well. Did I hear it right? The wolf has gone and gotten himself a Saxon bird, too?” He put his hand on his chin with a thoughtful look. “Yes, it would be very interesting to meet the lady, wouldn’t it?”

“Lord Orochimaru…” Abumi caught his attention again, almost regretting it when the narrowed snake-like eyes turned back to him. “Can I count on your protection from the Lone Wolf, my lord?”

Orochimaru smirked as if Abumi had told him a joke. He got up from his chair and walked out without answering, stopping only when he stood in front of the darkest corner of the tent, where the candlelight didn’t reach.

“Take out the trash when you are finished, will you?” Then he left, leaving Abumi with the sadistic-looking silver-haired warrior that came out of the shadows, showing himself for the first time and startling the deserter.

Kabuto gave no warning before he stepped forward and plunged the dagger into the man’s stomach, holding a hand over his mouth to muffle his scream of pain. Abumi stumbled backward, looking dazedly at the weapon sticking out of his belly.

He was so shocked that he could only think about the irony of the situation. After all, he had left his armor back in Arundel, aiming for a quicker escape and counting on Orochimaru providing another one when he arrived in London. Lord Orochimaru, who had given his warrior the order to kill Abumi. The ungrateful bastard!

“W-what did… you do?” He asked with difficulty, pain making it hard to breathe properly. Kabuto didn’t answer. Instead, he watched with dangerous eyes as Abumi slid to the ground. “But I… helped… Lord Orochimaru… I gave him information about Arundel and… Lord Sasuke! You bastard, you can’t… do this…”

Kabuto laughed lightly. “You stupid man. Did you really think Lord Orochimaru would have mercy on you? You are a coward and a weakling, completely useless to my lord now. What, did you believe Lord Orochimaru would want such trash working for him, when not even the Lone Wolf wanted you?” He scoffed and cruelty glinted in his eyes at Zaku’s terror and pain.

“P-please, don’t…” Zaku took the dagger out and let it fall while holding the wound as if that would keep the blood in.

“But since you did help out, I’ll make this quick.” Kabuto interrupted, forcefully grabbed the man by his hair and, before Zaku could say anything else, he dexterously took his sword out and slit the man’s throat.

As Zaku fell to the ground, dead eyes still open as life bled out of him quickly, Kabuto laughed and cleaned his blades on the corpse, stepping over it to leave the tent and find someone to clean that mess.

He could barely wait to meet the Lone Wolf’s new pet.

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