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Chapter 12: Highland Peril
The Highland night cloaked the Cairngorms ridge in a velvet chill, the stars above Edward and Tsunade's tent blazing like distant lanterns. Inside, their sleeping bags lay close, the warmth of their campfire fading into embers outside. Tsunade's steady breaths, softened by cocoa and the mountain's quiet, mingled with Edward's, their bond a silent anchor in the remote haven.
But the peace shattered with a low, guttural rumble—a sound that snapped them both awake, their senses sharp.
Edward sat up, his blue-gray eyes darting to the tent's flap, his heart pounding. "Tsu," he whispered, his voice tense, "you hear that?" Tsunade, already alert, her amber eyes glinting in the dark, nodded, her reserved intensity flaring.
"Growls, prince," she said, her tone low, pragmatic. "Not human. Beasts." Her shinobi instincts, honed for danger, scanned the darkness, her hand reaching for the rifle Edward had given her.
They unzipped the tent, the cold biting their faces, and peered into the night. The ridge, chosen for its isolation and lack of dangerous wildlife, betrayed them. A group of bears—three, maybe four, their hulking forms shadowy against the starlight—lumbered toward the camp, their growls vibrating the air. Edward's mind raced, searching for what drew them. The food was sealed, the stove cold. A stray scent, perhaps, or bad luck.
"Tsu, we need the car," he said, his voice steady despite the fear. "It's down the slope, a hundred yards."
Tsunade gripped the rifle, her dry humor surfacing. "Your safe mountain's a lie, prince." She stood, her borrowed parka bulky but her movements fluid, her shinobi poise unbroken.
They grabbed their gear, abandoning the tent, and moved swiftly toward the Land Rover, its dark frame a beacon in the distance. But the bears, enraged by their motion or some unseen lure, charged, their paws thudding against the rocky ground.
Edward fired a warning shot, the rifle's crack echoing, but the bears only roared, their fury undeterred. Tsunade aimed, her first shot grazing a bear's flank, but when she tried to reload, her fingers fumbled, her inexperience with guns betraying her.
"Damn it," she muttered, her voice tight. "No time, prince." Dropping the rifle, she shifted to a shinobi stance, her hands raised for hand-to-hand combat, her confidence rooted in decades of battle.
She lunged at the nearest bear, aiming a precise strike to its shoulder, expecting her chakra to surge, amplifying her strength. But nothing came. Her chakra, the lifeblood of her power, was silent, unresponsive—a void where energy should have flared.
Shock froze her, her amber eyes wide, as the bear swiped, its claws raking her arm. Pain seared, blood welling through her torn parka, and she stumbled, her pragmatic mind reeling. Why now? Why here?
Edward grabbed her, his arm around her waist, pulling her back. "Tsu, move!" he shouted, firing another shot to deter the bears.
They sprinted, Tsunade's injury slowing her but her shinobi grit pushing through. The Land Rover loomed, and Edward yanked the door open, shoving Tsunade inside before diving into the driver's seat. He floored the gas, the vehicle lurching down the slope, the bears' roars fading as they sped away, the night swallowing their camp.
Tsunade clutched her arm, blood seeping through her fingers, her face pale but composed, her reserved nature holding despite the pain.
"Your beasts… tougher than summons," she said, her voice strained, her dry humor a flicker of defiance.
Edward's heart twisted, guilt gnawing at him. This was his idea, his "safe" ridge.
Back at Balmoral Castle, the gray stone walls glowed under floodlights as Edward screeched to a halt. Tsunade swayed, her strength waning, and he scooped her into his arms, her weight light despite her injury.
"Hang on, Tsu," he said, his voice hoarse, rushing through the castle's halls to the medical room, a small but well-equipped space for estate emergencies. The staff, roused by the commotion, trailed behind, their questions ignored.
He set her on a sterile table, her parka soaked with blood, and grabbed a first-aid kit, his hands trembling.
"I'm so sorry, Tsu," he said, his blue-gray eyes clouded with guilt as he cut away her sleeve, revealing a deep gash across her forearm, claw marks angry and red. "This is my fault. I said it was safe, and you got hurt."
Tsunade's amber eyes met his, her reserved intensity unbroken despite her pain.
"Not your fault, prince," she said, her voice low, pragmatic. "Beasts don't follow plans. I… misjudged." Her admission, laced with confusion over her chakra's failure, hit him hard, his mind flashing to the secret he'd kept—her blood test, showing bone density less than half a human's, a fragility her chakra had masked. Had it failed her tonight? He couldn't tell her, not now, not like this.
He cleaned the wound with antiseptic, her flinch subtle, and wrapped it in gauze, his touch gentle but precise, his medical training from royal duties kicking in. Her skin was warm, her pulse steady, but the blood loss worried him.
"You're tougher than anyone, Tsu," he said, his voice soft, tying the bandage. "But no more bears, deal?"
She gave a faint smirk, her dry humor a lifeline. "Deal, prince. Next time, I pick the mountain." Her words, weak but hers, eased his guilt, their bond a quiet strength in the sterile room.
Edward sat beside her, his hand resting near hers, the castle's silence wrapping them. The bears, the failed chakra, the V.M. letter from the study—they loomed, shadows of a world closing in. But for now, Tsunade was safe, her breathing steady, and Edward vowed to protect her, whatever came next.
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