Bait

[red_branch]

Cu Chulainn wasn't a patrolman, nor did he ever aspire to be one. He was the guardian of his country in the sense that he would respond immediately to dire threats but he had never been the man to watch every village one by one and butt his head into every squabble he saw. Despite that, he had a keen eye for trouble and countless thoughts about what justice was supposed to be--so, he tended to intervene in problems when they presented themselves if only because of the fickle nature of what justice looked like to him.

Two farmers were arguing over a fairy mound, claiming ownership over a magic bow that sprung out of it. It had been hovering in the air, moving around on occasion from their perspective. Cu Chulainn, puzzled, wondered if the two men were fools--as there was clearly a man in white attire holding the damned thing. He stepped down from his horse to approach the two in the middle of their quarrel, watching the bowman, who was ignoring them as he read from a thin piece of paper held up in front of him. The two men didn't notice the bowman at all.

The bowman met eyes with Cu Chulainn, perplexed.

"You can see me?"

"Yeah. You can call me Cu Chulainn and... I'm curious. Never seen an archer carry that kind of bow, before."

Their exchange of words was brief, if not polite on Cu Chulainn's end. The farmers backed off immediately when they saw Cu Chulainn speaking to what they presumed was a demented ghost clutching the bow and ran when the bow lifted and fired, trying to take off Cu Chulainn's head from the neck. The young man let out a terse sigh, unstrapping his spear from his back after avoiding the volley before making a bit more effort to close the gap and stride towards him. The dark-haired archer was stunned that his shot hadn't landed and even more so when the following dozen bolts were parried and redirected just as easily. He jumped up and kicked the bowman square in the chest, dropping him to the ground before there had been a few popping sounds.

Strange. It didn't sound like the sound of bones breaking--he didn't think he kicked hard enough to do that. The bowman stumbled back, coughing and wheezing, his eyes bulging open as he buried his hand in his clothing to pull out a vial. The thing had broken in the center and little white tablets fell to the ground, dissolving. The shocked expression he wore spoke more about what happened than whatever he could pull out with his strange accent.

"I--I can't stay here!"

He threw a capsule to the ground, blinding light shining and catching Cu Chulainn off guard. He stepped back, vanishing into a tear in thin air, just as a few more of the tablets landed on the ground where he had been standing. Cu Chulainn rubbed under his eyes before stepping over to the remaining tablets, picking them up with a scowl.

"What a pain--fairy mounds are just troubling these days. Nothing good comes out of the damned things anymore--"

As if proving him right, a dozen or so howling voices rose up in the woods, the town, and the mountains all at once. Screaming farmers and milling people came shortly after, clearly bothered by the owners of those inhuman howls. His irritated scowl deepened and he ran off, away from the mound and towards the sound of trouble, "Speak of the devil... and he'll come crawling right away, huh?"

Comments

[goneonenight]

[Hearing that is a relief, but she's still going to be careful going forward. Being trapped is one thing, but being trapped by your own words is even worse. Even the idea of it offends her pride--Shihouins aren't supposed to get outwitted.]

Oh, good.

[It takes a moment for his reply to register, because no one could possibly be that dense. But when she looks around the room, everyone else's expressions make it clear that she hadn't misunderstood him at all--it really never occurred to him that she could bend the truth and draw this out a little longer.

She draws in a breath to respond, but laughter comes out instead. It's just too much that after everything, they'll give up the only reprieve they may have gotten today because of one too-honest boy.

A too-honest boy who's studded with arrows, who arguably could use the rest more than anyone.]

Oh, you're so weird. [Her laughter trails off, but the smile she gives him is bright enough to take the sting out of her words.] Fine, whatever. But if we're going to fight tomorrow, then we need to treat your wounds. So let's just get it over with.

[red_branch]

...I'm weird? [Cu Chulainn's voice barely croaked out, his expression immediately turning sullen, like he didn't understand a joke.]

[Cathbad watched Yoruichi carefully. She had a clear disdain for geas and the dishonest, entrapping nature of them. Given the look Cu Chulainn made, he could tell his grandson was conflicted about her resistance to the idea. The boy spent his life bound to several of them, happy to make that sacrifice for the sake of being a good, honest person. It was natural that Cu Chulainn would feel like a fool, meeting a peer he liked a great deal who saw his lifestyle as terrifying or psychotic. He needs this. The old man told himself that, knowing he had to make the boy feel like an idiot for buying into the lifestyle he was tricked into loving. He needs to realize everyhing he's done is wrong or else he'll just be another sacrifice to this Queen.

Cathbad spread his arms and produced the Caladbolg--or rather, an extremely convincing duplicate. No one in the hall could tell it wasn't real, even Cu Chulainn. He tied a ribbon made of light around the handle of the sword and offered it to Yoruichi.]

Here. It's sealed and cannot be used until it's back in Medb's court. Yoruichi--when you give it to Ferdia, say this: 'You can take this as long as long as you personally take it and Fergus back to Medb's palace right this instant.' If you don't phrase it that way, he'll have as many excuses as he wants to stick around and cause trouble--the same goes with Fergus.'

[Cu Chulainn had been stunned by Yoruichi's sudden laughter initially, wringing his hands and wondering why she thought he was weird. He was jolted out of the thought when Cathbad brained him with the knotted end of his staff.]

Guh!

Now, take this boy out of my sight before I injure him more gravely.

[goneonenight]

[Yoruichi steps forward to take the weapon, heedless of Cu Chulainn's pique. It wasn't the first time she'd hurt a boy's feelings and it wouldn't be the last. Her straightforward manner has made more than one family member despair of her ever being able to serve in covert ops, but even she can manage to lie when need be.

It's just that her definition of need and that of her family rarely coincide.

She nods, committing the words to memory. The last thing she wants is to be responsible for causing more trouble. For all the power here, it's useless if none of them get to rest. She turns to Cu Chulainn, wincing in sympathy as his grandfather assaults him yet again. ]

Are you coming? [She heads back out to Ferdia without waiting for an answer, certain he'll be close behind her. When she sees the older man, she lifts her chin slightly, her voice firm with an assurance that belies her youth.]

You can take this as long as you personally take it and Fergus back to Medb's palace right this instant.

[She raises the false Caladbolg, but doesn't hand it over until he agrees.]

[red_branch]

My Lord. You look like you've been absolutely trounced.

Hah! Why, it's because I was! That young lady packed way more a punch than the other spirits I've crossed swords with. If she decides to join the fight again, I'll have to go back and train a bit to sharpen my reflexes!

[When they stepped back outside, Fergus was already beside Ferdia, his arms crossed. He had quite a few bruises from the blows he'd taken while fighting Yoruichi but someone had tended to them and cleaned up some of the blood on his face and hands. One would have expected him to look sullen but he beamed when he saw Yoruichi and Cu Chulainn, though his expression went a bit cold when he saw the state of his nephew.

He came himself because he wanted to avoid that sort of thing from the very beginning. Yoruichi interrupted his train of thought, prompting a smile back out of him.]

Good call! See, Ferdia--now you're guilt-free in retreating!

Yes, this is a better way for this to end it. Now that you know what you need to say, I don't believe Medb will consider you green behind the ears, Lady Shihouin. I accept. [He didn't take the sword yet, his hand poised beside the handle. Ferdia nodded his head in a brief bow.]

That said, I won't apologize. From this point on, you can assume that I'll be back to take your heads if Queen Medb gets desperate enough to call for me.

[Cu Chulainn looked from Yoruichi to Ferdia, going right back to smiling. Despite the callous threat, the apology gave him a sliver of hope.]

Right! That's good enough, isn't it? [He looked to Yoruichi, pleased with the outcome despite the openly aired threat and hostility from his long-time best friend. He really didn't get why people thought he was weird.]

[goneonenight]

[Fergus is cheerfully recounting their fight to Ferdia when they come back out, although his face seems to darken a bit when he sees Cu Chulainn. If he's upset at his nephew's condition, he's rather naive--Yoruichi has known him for less than a day and she's pretty sure that he'd end up in the middle of any sort of fighting.

Ferdia is a bit cooler in his response, and it's all Yoruichi can do not to snort at his not so subtle threat.]

I can't imagine that would have mattered to her anyway. [Not given her disregard for the civilians in the castle. There's no way she'd care about one stranger's lack of familiarity for the customs here.

All carelessness drops from her manner, and her smile is sharp and just this side of vicious. She may owe Cu Chulainn, but that doesn't mean she'll stand by and let his friend kill her out of some misguided sense of gratitude. Even if Cu Chulainn himself doesn't seem to think anything of it.]

But I understand that you'll try.

[She looks at Cu Chulainn.]

I'm done if you are. You promised me a bath.

[red_branch]

[Fergus startled himself by laughing the moment Yoruichi mentioned a bath with Ferdia and Cu Chulainn's eyes turning to him, stunned. The both of them were caught off guard by the dots that connected in the older man's head, not coming to the same conclusions, themselves. Fergus stopped himself from detoriating and shook his head.]

Oh my. You're all still terribly young, aren't you? Well, I'd say you'd avoid taking a mark against your pride by accepting her as an enemy going forward, Ferdia?

[Shaking his head, Fergus began leaving the courtyard with his arms pumping in the air, excited. Cu Chulainn's dumb smile persisted as he failed to interpret the joke being thrown at him. Ferdia didn't.]

I really don't like him. [Ferdia commented offhandedly, nodding to Yoruichi and Setanta. He grabbed the sword from her and bowed his head, happy to hear her return his threat with a smile.]

I accept. That said, please be sure to find me on the battlefield.

[He left with Fergus, leaving Cu Chulainn with Yoruichi in a still-smoking and mangled courtyard. Cu Chulainn was still smiling, not quite catching Fergus' innuendo and too happy to see Ferdia leave with a pleasant look on his face to be bothered.]

That ended much better than I expected! Well--I do suppose I promised you one, so I'll get right to it! But... You seemed much more adamant about my recovery first. Taking that into account... I can ready both rituals at the same time once I go to my room and get my herbal supplies.

[goneonenight]

[As the two men leave, it feels like a temporary reprieve rather than a victory. Still, after the day she's had, Yoruichi will take it.

She turns to Cu Chulainn, a frown creasing her brow as she looks at his injuries once again. She still can't believe he's been walking around with arrowheads stuck in him all this time.]

I am, but I figured it was safer to talk about a bath than your injuries. [Cu Chulainn's nonchalance aside, the Fergus and Ferdia are not on their side. Even if he is visibly hurt, she's not going to make a big deal about it in front of his enemies.

Stretching her arms over her head, she blows out a long sigh, feeling all the aches and minor injuries from the battle. She isn't anywhere nearly as badly hurt as Cu Chulainn, but she hadn't been out there as long either.]

I'll follow you, then?

[red_branch]

Safer? [Cu Chulainn may have parroted her a bit too quickly off the bat but a moment more of thinking brought him in the right direction. His lips creased into a frown.]

I don't think they'd... [He trailed off, setting his hands on a barrel of water left behind by the children. Drawing a rune on it, Cu Chulainn began boiling the contents. By the time he tossed it in the bath, it would have cooled down a bit. He lifted it up in his arms and mulled things over for a moment longer.

He didn't have any reason to believe Yoruichi was the type to bring up that sort of thing for no reason. She was the sort of person to speak deliberately from every indicator he could recall. The few times she did slip, he could tell it wasn't a scheming personality she was hiding with her discipline.]

Mmm. I guess I may be too ignorant to have an honest say, anymore.

[It was a depressing thought, admitting that he suddenly didn't have a clear bearing on friends or family anymore but if there was anything sad in him, Cu Chulainn set it aside quickly. Out of the fight, he was eager to follow Yoruichi's recommendations but he wouldn't want to forget his other promises, either. As he lugged the barrel inside, he pried with a curious question.]

...Say, who's your teacher?

[goneonenight]

[Cu Chulainn's mood seems to drop at the thought of having to think strategically when dealing with his uncle and his friend. It's clear he's never had to worry about the ramifications of their goals not aligning with his own.]

Not ignorant, just...[She shrugs] too close to the situation. It's hard to adjust to something like that.

[She follows him as he brings the barrel inside, curious about the technique he'd used to heat it. But before she can ask, he asks a question of his own.]

My teacher? Well...I have a few. But my father and grandmother, mainly. Why?

[red_branch]

[Cu Chulainn weighed that perspective for a moment, shifting his body's weight to get the barrel through one of the narrower passageways without hitting a door frame. Yoruichi was clearly better educated than most warriors he'd ever met, even among Scathach's favorites. So, she found the nicest possible way to phrase things.]

Well, I guess that's the nicest way anyone ever said that to me!

Though, I was just curious. If I were to ever meet them, I'd happily praise them for doing excellent work.

[Once he was past the toughest passage to go through, it was a straight walk through a corridor to the bath-house. He doubted many people would be around given that evening's events. Stepping in through the open door, he walked over to the massive ceramic-tiled pool and poured the bubbling contents of the barrel into it. The pool had already mostly been filled but it went from lukewarm to steaming with just that one barrel.]

[goneonenight]

[For her part, Yoruichi hadn't considered it to be all that kind, just matter of fact But if he's grown up in a house where his grandfather sucker punches him and he's at war with his uncle, his sense of 'kind' is probably different than hers.

She snorts.]

They'll agree, but say it's wasted on me since I only listen when I feel like it.

[Which isn't true, as far as Yoruichi is concerned; she's always listening, she just doesn't bother with the stuff that seems like it has no use. Etiquette alone is a pain in the ass; you can be polite without all the formality, so why bother? And they can complain all they want, but she's too good at fighting, tactics and history for them to come down on her too hard.

They arrive at the bath-house, which is different than what she's used to. Rather than an enclosed hot spring or a wooden tub, the bathing area is the size of a small pond. Yoruichi lets out a sigh of pleasure at the billowing steam, but knows that Cu Chulainn's wounds need to come first.]

Wow, that bath is huge!

[red_branch]

Ah. My teachers've said the same about me. [It was an offhanded recollection. Scathach wasn't elderly in appearance but she had hundreds of years on him. Still, she managed to be wrong about plenty of things... even if she took it personally when someone happened to notice it or worse--point it out.] Pretty sure my teacher would really like you.

[Cu Chulainn set another bucket of water from one end of the room down beside himself and gathered a small basin of water from it, setting it down where he intended to start working on removing the arrows.

Letting Yoruichi enjoy the warmth of the steam for a few moments, Cu Chulainn sat down on a bench and began ripping at his tunic and undershirt to get to his wounds, looking them over critically. He felt every bit of that pain but the thin veil of divinity in every fiber of him insisted it wasn't a problem. He weighed what arrows he could deal with first just in case something came knocking at the castle's door in the next ten minutes.

He made a pile of the strips of his clothing he tore off and planted one hand around an arrow embedded in his shoulder, giving Yoruichi an embarrassed look.]

Ah--sorry, I'll try to be quiet.

[goneonenight]

Oh? Maybe I'll see her around, then.

[The warmth of the steamy room causes her muscles to sag for a moment, and she'd like nothing more than to quickly wash up so she can slip into the hot bath. But then Cu Chulainn starts to strip down, apparently preparing to yank out all the arrows himself.]

No, wait! I'll do that. [She gives him a disbelieving look before stepping near him and placing her hand over his.] Do you need something for the pain? Or something to bite down on?

[It's bad enough he's been walking around like this for a while, but he'd even carried that barrel of water through the castle for her. Helping out here is the least she can do.]

[red_branch]

W-wait, you want to-- [Cu Chulainn couldn't reason out a scenario in which Yoruichi hadn't been trained on that sort of care. If she'd been trained the way he had, then she could probably stitch herself up if need be, so there was no sense in turning down help. Still, he didn't like being scolded. In that vein, he was just as confident Yoruichi wouldn't take 'no' for an answer.]

--You can help as long as you don't tell anyone you did. I'll get chewed out for sure.

[Even if the people who would have been doing the most reprimanding were hunched over in pain for the foreseeable future. Cu Chulainn smiled grimly, shaking his head at her next couple questions.]

It's be nice but I'll be fine without it. Pain isn't an issue, though I'll need help if my body gives out despite it.

[goneonenight]

I said I'd help, didn't I?

[As he'd guessed, Yoruichi has been well trained in field medicine. Even if she hasn't yet treated anyone with such extensive injuries, she knows what to do. But knowing that she'll have to do this without any sort of painkiller brings her up short. Because now the task has shifted from 'helping him' to 'hurting him'.

Even though she knows she'll be inflicting pain for his own good, it's still enough to for her to inhale deeply, steeling herself for what will be an unpleasant time for them both. Still, it needs doing so she's not going to back down now.]

Why would you get in trouble?

[red_branch]

It's probably meaningless but I'm sure they'd bother me about treating you like a medic. There's probably some old rule about not letting nobles do these kinds of jobs.

[None the less nobles who were also venerated soul reapers. Setanta looked up at the ceiling, feeling a little dejected. Yoruichi seemed disturbed by it as well, though she must have been taking it a bit personally from what he could tell. He hadn't thought much about the issue of pain himself. With magic at their disposal, he didn't need to worry about the loss of mobility or function. Everything would go right back to where it needed to be.

Maybe she was offended he hesitated?]

I'm not saying I don't think you know how to do it, though! Any good teacher would focus on defense but know how to handle injuries, too. So, I assume I'm in good hands, here!

[goneonenight]

[Yoruichi shakes her head.]

It's a dumb rule, especially now. Who cares about titles when the fighting starts?

[Despite her rank, she'd been trained on any number of tasks, including that of a medic. In the heat of battle, or during a mission, there's no telling who will need to carry out what task. Besides, as the heir, she needs to be the best at everything. As a girl, people will be looking for any excuse for her to fail and she doesn't plan on giving it to them.]

No, I wasn't mad. Just wondered, that's all.

[She places one hand on his shoulder and firmly grasps the arrow in the other.]

We'd better get started, then. I'll pull it out on three, okay?

[When he nods, she counts, then pulls steadily until the arrowhead pops out with a wet noise and a fresh gush of blood.]

Oh. [Her eyes go wide at the sight and her voice is faint, but her hands at least are steady. After a deep breath, her next words are firmer.] Let's get the next one when you're ready.

[red_branch]

Either way, I'm grateful. It'll help make sure I don't miss the basics. [Unsurprisingly, field medicine performed on one's self was rarely that successful. Even if he were in a safe space for it, Setanta was sure he'd be distracted enough to forget an arrow simply because he wanted to be done with it and rest. When Yoruichi prompted him, he gave her a short nod and made a little noise in the back of his throat when she pulled the arrow through. His vision got fuzzy at the edges but he still held his head up, frowning in a little bit of surprise. That was as smooth as they went. He barely noticed Yoruichi watching him with a bit more intensity than before. That didn't really surprise him. Given how rough he looked, it seemed like a daunting task to treat him even just to remove what was left over.

Shakily, he dabbed two fingers into the water basin, rubbing them together until they made mud. It looked like a simple trick and he rubbed the clay-like mud into both ends of the wound, giving Yoruichi a short nod of his head.]

Hnn-- ... That went as well as I'd hoped.

Ah, just--use part of my clothing to grip the arrowhead. No sense in you cutting up your palms doing this.

[goneonenight]

Oh, right. [She bends to grab a couple of strips of fabric, wrapping them around both hands.] What's that you put on your wound?

[She could have sworn there was nothing but plain water in that bucket, but he'd brought his hand out with some kind of paste he'd then spread onto the wound. She'd planned on using healing kidou on him later, but whatever medicines he has at his disposal can only help.

Another arrow has most of the shaft still attached; with a brief warning, she snaps it off a hand's breath from the arrowhead, readying it to be more easily removed.]

[red_branch]

Hm? [He wasn't too surprised by that. Druidic magic was specifically for the living. Spirits had their own means, though he didn't know nearly enough about it to call it by the right name.]

It's clay. It's nothing special--just an old druid's trick to turn blood into clay. Stops blood and seals wounds long enough for a little treatment.

[At Yoruichi's warning, he stopped talking so he wouldn't bite his tongue. Cu Chulainn cleared his throat, ready for Yoruichi to finish the rest of that arrow. He'd silently thank Medb for being too hasty to ready up notched arrows for her soldiers.

Even so, he couldn't stand those damned archers. Whether or not he felt most of that pain, it was more than enough to make him grit his teeth in discomfort. He had to hope Yoruichi would keep doing it as well as she had at first.]

[goneonenight]

[Yoruichi extracts the next arrow, rinsing the wound to make sure there's no debris left behind. Satisfied, she nods at Cu Chulainn.]

Okay, next one.

[Doggedly, Yoruichi removes every last arrow; some come out more easily than others, and one is wedged in so badly that she's surprised they don't both collapse when it's out. That one had grass and dirt inside the wound, and she has to take extra care to clean it out properly.

But Cu Chulainn withstands the pain, with only an occasional grunt or grimace to betray how agonizing it must be. As she works, she keeps checking in with him, pausing whenever he needs a few moments to gather himself. She can't imagine having to stay awake through all of this--the idea of him trying to do this himself is horrifying.

Finally, the last one comes out and Yoruichi almost sobs in relief. That had almost been worse than the battle. As she rinses the last wound clean, she looks up at him, a tired grin flashing over her face.]

Still with me? I'll heal you in a minute, then we can start binding these up.

[red_branch]

Huh? [Whether or not he could actually handle the pain didn't matter much when every arrow took more blood with it. Eventually, he'd succumb, but he was fortunate enough to have allies and resources to work with. Instead, he'd suffer a little longer and recover.

Knowing the next day had the potential to be worse, Setanta reached over to give Yoruichi a comforting grip on her shoulder. It was a little shakier than he'd like to admit but for some reason, he felt more sorry for her than himself. The pain he was in was one thing but he knew exactly how painful it was to hurt someone he didn't want to hurt.

Still, he grinned from ear to ear. He had to try to lighten things up.]

Yeah. You should have an easy time casting on me without any interference, now. I'd ask if you wanted a drink but I'm sure we're both a bit too sick to our stomachs for that.

[goneonenight]

[Her smile grows a little stronger at the warmth of his hand on her shoulder. Despite how much pain he must be in, he's still worried about her.]

It's just be a waste of good booze at this point. [Focusing, her hands glow blue with kidou as she lays them on his chest. The healing should help close up the wounds as well as replenish some of his energy. But she can't risk draining herself, so his own stamina will have to take care of the rest. If they'll be fighting again tomorrow, she needs to be able to defend herself as well.] All I'm going to manage after this is a bath and straight to bed.

[Not that she knows where she's sleeping, but she's sure someone can direct her. She doesn't want to bother Cu Chulainn with one more thing after all he's done today.]

I can close up the wounds but they'll still be tender. You'll need to be careful tomorrow.

[red_branch]

Yup. Course, there's always the morning. [Getting rowdy and drunk before a big fight was normal enough in his household but when he stopped to think about it, any drinking he did in the morning would be fairly light and quiet. Most of the warriors he'd start the day with were, quite literally, cursed.

He hoped Yoruichi would be early to rise, at least.

He shut his eyes when he felt Yoruichi focus her kidou on him, jolting just a little at the sensation. It was, quite literally, a transfer of power and it startled him just a little. When he relaxed, he felt his wounds begin to close up, likely faster than Yoruichi expected. Cu Chulainn would think it was normal--demigods tended to maintain the same 'shape' when their energy was replenished. As he healed, his body remembered what it was supposed to look like and worked to bring it back.]

Oh. [When Yoruichi talked about the rest of the night, it answered another question he had.]

So... spirits sleep. If that's the case, my room in this castle goes unused, so feel free to use it. I'm much more comfortable in the barracks.

[It wasn't that he preferred the barracks--just that he liked the view out of that particular window.]

[goneonenight]

[To Yoruichi's surprise, Cu Chulainn's wounds start closing up much faster than usual. At this rate, she won't need to work on him nearly as long as his injuries would normally need. That's a relief, as she'll need to conserve what energy she can for what's coming.

Amused, she raises an eyebrow.]

You've seen me eat. We pretty much do all the same stuff you guys do. But if you don't mind, I appreciate it.

[As welcoming as everyone in the castle has been, there's no way she'd be able to relax enough to sleep in an open environment. A private room that she can seal off behind a barrier will ensure that she can actually get some rest. She'll just have to wake up early enough to dispel it before anyone comes for her; she doesn't want to insult her hosts.]

This is going a lot faster than I thought it would. I'll be done soon.