The fire lit the faces of all those around it, giving them a golden glow. Utena, Anthy, Keiko, Shiori, Wakaba and the others waited, looking expectantly at Miki and Juri. "The four of us graduated almost the same time," Juri smiled as she began her tale, "myself, Miki, Touga and Ruka. We were all competitors, rivals in our skills, but once on the job we quickly closed ranks and set out to be the best city guards we could be." Miki laughed softly, "Of which our training had only partly prepared us." "How so?" Anthy asked. "We started out in the city guard's night watch, under Commander Vimes," Juri smiled in fond remembrance. "Old stone face," a smiling Miki nodded. "A more dour man you'd never meet, but he was damn good at his job. Vimes took us under his wing, occasionally hammering the lessons into our heads," he chuckled. "Everyone in the night watch, no matter if they were of noble birth or commoner, had to walk the beat at least one a day, rain or shine," Juri said fondly. "We were out on patrol together, Miki, Ruka and I, when we heard a woman scream. Like any good guards we all ran towards it, to see what was going on," she said. "We were out by the Shades, so we had our swords drawn, but we soon realized the feminine cries were coming from Miss Palm's house," and Miki blushed faintly. "Miss Palm's?" Anthy asked them curiously. Keiko was visibly stifling her laughter as she said to her, "It's a house for... seamstresses." Anthy still looked at her blankly so the brown haired girl leaned forward to whisper in her ear, "A house of ill repute?" Anthy's eyes widened, and a blush stole over her cheeks, too. "Ruka, of course, was all for charging right in, but Miki and I were hesitant," Juri grinned. "Then a young woman dressed in almost nothing stuck her head out the window and demanded we get inside and help," she laughed. "We go charging inside," Miki ignored the snickering coming from the listeners, "and try to find the source of all the yelling. We're running up the hallway, the pretty girl's are running by us the other way, and most of them were almost naked." Miki sighed softly, "Though I was going to have a nosebleed and faint." "Join the club," a chuckling Juri patted him hard on the shoulder. "So we run up to the second floor, find a group of ruffians trying to rob the place, and a bare naked man fighting them off, protecting the ladies," Juri grinned. "It's Touga," Miki grinned, "apparently he was there sampling the wares on his day off. So we joined him, and managed to rout the cads." "And," Juri smiled, "we got a lifetime discount with the seamstress' guild." "Did you ever take advantage of it?" Shiori asked archly. Miki went beet red, but Juri just smiled back as she admitted, "Occasionally." "Juri!" Shiori pretended to look shocked, then she grabbed her arm with a smile. Not long after they all retired to their beds. "Have you ever gone to a place like that?" Anthy asked Utena softly. "When I was younger and dumber," Utena answered softly. "I eventually figured out I preferred to care about the person I was with," she said. "And I suppose I cost less," Anthy suddenly rolled Utena under her. She grinned down at her, "But I may be free, but I'm not easy." Utena laughed, drawing Anthy down into her arms. They were on the move early the next morning, the outriders sent out ahead of them as the guards kept their stations around Anthy's carriage. A protection that was clearly beginning to wear on the future Queen. "Utena, do you really need to do this?" Anthy asked crossly, leaning out of her carriage. "I want to get out and ride a bit," she complained. Utena rode close to the window, smiling at her as she said softly, "I'd feel a lot better if you stay in the carriage." Anthy blinked, looking up at her in surprise as she said, "Sweet- talking me?" Utena shrugged, and grinned at her, "It's not like I can order you to do it." Anthy shook her head, laughing softly, "All right, for you." They rode on into the afternoon, relaxing a bit as the quiet spell stretched on. They were startled, then, when the silence was shattered by a hawk's shrill cry. It dove down to Keiko's arm and she quickly unrolled the message tied to it's leg. "Easy, Artemis," Keiko murmured to the hawk, her eyes growing wide as she read. "Bandits, incoming," she cried out. The carriage was quickly stopped, and Utena took command. "Circle around the princess," she ordered, drawing her blade. Juri and the other took up positions, and Shiori stood by Anthy's window, chanting softly as she prepared her spells. "Ready your bows," Juri ordered softly. The group broke through the brush charging towards them, clearly a rabble in arms. Battered armor and crude weapons were what most of them wore, a few marked and bloody from tangling with the outrider force. Bows sang their song, arrows scything into their badly disorganized opponents. They staggered, disorganized, and then Tsuwabuki and the other outriders attacked them from behind. It quickly became a rout as Utena sent Juri and a few other guards to assist. "I guess you were right," Anthy said softly, looking at the bodies of their fallen foes. A few of the attackers had managed to flee, but most of them lay there on the blood stained grass. "You get to be right next time," Utena answered her with a ghost of a smile. To Juri, "Help me search the bodies. We need to know if someone sent them." "What happened?" Keiko asked Tsuwabuki softly as they assisted with the search. "They suckered us out of position," Tsuwabuki sighed, "then slipped by us." Softly, "Juri's gonna kill me." "I'd be more worried about Utena," Keiko answered. Tsuwabuki went pale at that idea. "Well, well, what have we here?" Utena murmured, holding up a pendant. "Juri, do you recognize this?" she asked. Juri cupped the black pendant in her hand, the light catching on the inscription of a rose. "A black rose," she murmured, "I've not seen that before." They brought it over to Anthy and Shiori to look at, but Anthy didn't recognize it either. "It's not enchanted," Shiori offered. "Anything else?" Utena asked the searchers. There was a general shaking of heads, and Tsuwabuki caught Utena's eye. She smiled at him grimly, "Young man, I want to talk to you." Tsuwabuki visibly gulped. Authors Notes: Commander Vimes, the Shades, Miss Palm and the Seamstress' Guild are all from Terry Prattchet's Discworld novels, specifically Guards, Guards! ,Men at Arms, Feet of Clay, and several others. A very funny series of books.
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