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I woke up bright and early and found everyone in the back bedrooms were still asleep, including my roommate, who didn’t even hear me open the door to leave the room. I decided to go check on Akairo, who was wide awake folding up the blanket he used during the night. “Akairo”…I said slowly walking up to him so I didn’t surprise him. “Good morning Rayne, did you sleep well?” He said placing the folded blanket and the pillow on the floor so I could sit on the couch. I sat down then looked up at him and replied “Yes, I slept well thank you.” To put his mind at ease even though truthfully it looked as if neither of us slept at all last night. “Yeah, me too…” He said taking a seat next to me on the couch. I had so many things I wanted to say all at once and it seemed Akairo was going through the same thing as we both called out to each other at the same time. After a brief silence I told Akairo to go ahead and tell me what he had to say, and when he was done I’d tell him what I wanted to say. “Well Rayne, I was thinking…” He began to say but briefly paused to collect his thoughts. Suddenly I felt a little anxious at what he was going to say to me now that we were alone. “…about some things last night and I’m sure if we asked them the villagers would help us…” Came his vague response. “Help us with what?” I said scared to ask after what happened between us yesterday. “…To fight Sabyo…If we ask the villagers to help us I’m sure they will help…” He said giving me an answer I wasn’t expecting…For a moment it seemed as though I’d forgotten what I came all the way out here to do…”Don’t worry I’m sure they’ll help…”Akairo said mistaking my unconscious thoughts to be silence from worry.

“I’ll go talk with everyone after a while and get input on things…no matter what they say I’ll fight for you. Now what were you going to say Rayne?” Akairo said “First of all thanks for everything Akairo…I really didn’t expect it when I first met you…” I said recalling back to when Akairo’s gang had surrounded me on the mountain path. My words escaped my mouth before I had a chance to think about them…”Why would you help someone like me?” Realizing what I had said I covered my mouth hoping to catch the words with my hands before they reached Akairo’s ears, but it was too late. What was said was said and I couldn’t take it back. “Because…” he said leaning in to whisper in to my ear “I fell in love with you the moment I first saw you…” I heard him say as my face felt warm and I could tell I was turning red again. Akairo moved some of my blue curls to the side of my face then he kissed me…my heart began to race and the red from my face seemed to travel down my body. Is this what it feels like to be in love? This feeling of safety when he around me, longing when he’s away and this red that covers my body when his close to me…are those all signs of love? I thought as he slowly pulled away from me. After a brief moment Akairo stood up and said “I’m going to meet with the gang now about the raid on Sabyo…” I tried to ask him to stay for a bit longer but my words wouldn’t come out…all that I could do was watch him leave as that longing feeling begun to set in.

Akairo held a meeting with his active gang members and discussed with them everything that happened to me so far and his plans concerning the raid he hoped to commence sometime before dawn when Sabyo would be most vulnerable after returning home from their night raids exhausted and weary. The gang seemed fired up as I heard them cheering and yelling as they returned back to their homes…Akairo didn’t allow me to attend the meeting for some undisclosed reason. I could only assume it went well until he gave me an update.

By the time Akairo came back everyone was awake at the house and Okaasama was making breakfast. “Akairo-dear how did the meeting go?” Okaasama said as he walked in the doorway. “I told everyone about what had happened to Rayne and they all unanimously agreed on the plan to raid Sabyo…We just need a little time to prepare, but once we are ready we will attack them when the sun is about to rise on a new day of our bright future.” Akairo said sounding just like a leader giving a motivating speech to his troops before a major battle. Everyone cheered in the same manner as I heard them do outside a moment ago…even the little ones cheered with all their might though I wondered if they really knew what they were cheering for or just making noise. It was fine with me either way though. I was relieved to have their support…especially Akairo’s…I don’t think I could do this without him anymore.
{End of Chapter 8}