Recollections
Part One
In the reflection of the window I watched her take a sip of her coffee. "I am ready anytime you are," she said, subtly hinting me to start.
With a sigh I turned around to face her. Her inquisitive teal eyes were fixed on me. She had asked for an interview. She was writing a book, History of the Yoroi, and wanted to hear my story, start to finish. I was the only one left that knew it all. Besides, she had offered free lodgings until I had adjusted to this era, so how could I refuse?
"Where should I begin," I mused, almost to myself, "well obviously I should begin at the beginning. But, I won't bore you with the details of my childhood, for I had a fairly normal childhood, now that I look back upon it. My father was the leader of our small village, my mother was a healer and my brother was ten years older than me, a strong warrior and newly wed. Yet, something was different about me, I knew it ran further than skin deep, something more..."
I paused and walked over to the desk, pulled out a chair and sat down. Can't teach an old dog new tricks, I thought to myself, smoothing the silky material of my kimono. Glancing up to look at her, I couldn't help but chuckle. This woman, probably the age of 18 or 19, looked older than I, yet I was far older than her.
She noticed my laugh and gave a questioning look. I shook my head, "It is nothing, Mia.
Now I shall start my tale. My first recollection began more than a thousand years ago..."
****
"Mother! I am home!" I cried, announcing my presence. She ran towards me as I neared, scooping me up into her strong arms.
"I am so glad you are back, dearest. How is Hachiro?" She inquired with those shining dark eyes.
"He is well, as his wife. She said I could name the baby when it is born! I hope it is a girl, then I will name it Asami!" I bubbled excitedly.
My mother laughed, "And a beautiful name that is! Now, go wash up for dinner, you are all dusty from your trip."
Inside my father greeted me with his warm smile. "Teruyo, how is your brother settling down in his new home?"
"You should see it Father! It is so big!" I spread out my arms and spun around, exaggerating my point, "with such a lovely garden!"
"How is Chisato and the child?"
"She is so happy, and so is Hachiro! I can't wait till it is born!"
"Teruyo!" Mother's voice called from outside.
"I'm going Mother!" I called back, dashing to my room to clean up.
My mind drifted back to the past week, when I visited my older brother and his wife at their new home beyond the forest. I hoped the child would have black hair and dark eyes like Hachiro and Chisato. I didn't want it to look different like me, I thought, tugging fitfully at the lock of yellow dangling mockingly infront of my eyes. I was the only one in the village with yellow hair. Mother always said it wasn't a bad thing to be different, but some of the children in the village avoided me, and their icy stares stabbed my heart.
"Your rice is getting cold Teruyo!" My mother's voice jolted me out of my thoughts.
After dinner I sat quietly beside Mother listening to her play the bamboo flute. She stopped and glanced at father with a look of concern. Father leaned over and patted my head. "What is wrong? You are not singing tonight, dearest."
I sat quiet for a while before answering, "Why must I be different?"
Mother frowned. "Dearest, you are the most lovely daughter a parent could wish for. Golden hair is a special gift the gods have given you. You should be proud."
"But the boys don't talk to me. I shall never marry and be happy like Hachiro." I pouted in self-pity.
She brought me into a hug. "My love, you are only eight years old. Now the boys find it strange, but when they grow up you won't be able to keep them away," she released me from the hug and smiled, "even with Grandfather's sword!"
Comforted, I leaned against her and enjoyed the rest of the beautiful evening.
It was some months later, after my ninth birthday that a messenger came. An army was coming from the east. Hachiro, Chisato and baby Asami left their secluded home and joined us. Hachiro and father were going to fight.
A frosty spring morning the army reached our village. The males in the village fought fiercely, while us females hid in our family's large cellar. The yells and clanging of steel frightened me terribly, and I could see flames lick the adjacent building from the small window. I clambered up on a few crates to see more clearly what was going on. Bodies were piled up like firewood. In the corner of my vision I could see a large soldier riding a dark steed, hewing down men from my village like lithe stalks of grain.
Suddenly I noticed a familiar cloak. Hachiro had rushed up to face this intruder. My brother stabbed at the horse's legs and the figure crashed to the ground, but quickly found his feet again, swiftly avoiding Hachiro's blows. I saw the figure more clearly now. He, if indeed it was a man, was armed head to toe in dark armour. He had numerous swords attached to his back, and he was wielding one large one, gleaming with a murderous light and stained with blood. The most horrible thing about him was his helm. It was as dark as his armour, but the face mask was crimson, and hideous spikes crowned the top, like sharp vampiric fangs ready to suck the life from you. His leering jaw grinned uncompassionately as he slaughtered, and a fire was in his dark eyes.
The duel intensified. My heart pounded as I watched. It seemed both were of an equal keel, but the figure slashed at my brother's arm, knocking his katana several feet away. Get up, Hachiro, get up, please, I begged silently, watching the figure advance. Hachiro backed up, inch by inch, till he was almost in reach of his blade. I stared hard at Hachiro's hand. With a quick movement his fingers grasped the hilt, only to fall limp.
Shocked, I pulled my vision back upto the figure. His sword was deeply imbedded in my brother's chest. A scarlet trickle crept out from underneath his lifeless body. Tears streamed down my face as I started into the vacant eyes of my dead brother. No.. He's not dead, I forced myself to believe it, repeating the words over and over. In a moment of desperation, I hoisted myself up and slithered out the window. Picking a path through the corpses I sped to Hachiro's side, searching for any sign of life. This amused the figure. He started laughing. I will never forget that repulsive cackle, mocking me in my sorrow. I looked up with my lost, tear flecked eyes to see his sword poised above me, ready to strike. I clamped my eyes shut, waiting for the bite of steel.
It never came, but in its place, an earsplitting clash of metal. I ventured to open my eyes, and I found the figure, on his hands and knees, beside me. He watched with wide eyes his cloven helm as it lay on the ground, collecting the stream of blood cascading down his face. He looked up and met my gaze. For a brief second, I saw a horrible malice, a sadistic glint in those dark uncaring eyes, before they went blank. He fell forward, landing before me and I sat for a long moment, petrified.
A heavy thud finally drew my attention away."Teruyo..you are safe..." the hoarse voice of the man that killed the figure whispered before taking his last breath. The fires died down and clouds covered the moon, but I could still recognize that it was my father.