I remember when I first got my Hiraikotsu.
I was sitting in a hut, weaving a silk cloth. My grandmother was
hovering over me, scowling at my mishandling of the threads.
"Such
a waste of good silk on a girl like you. You are of no use here. Go
to the men; see if they have use for you." The old woman
spat.
I quietly bowed and rose from the floor mats. Exiting
the small hut brought me into direct sunlight, and I lifted my hand
to shield my eyes. "Nii-san, do you have anything for me to
do?"
"No, Sango. I don't. Ask Father. He'll have a
job for you."
I nodded, and turned in the opposite
direction. I could see father through the trees, chopping lumber and
swearing at his dull blade. "Chi-chiue, do you have anything for
me to do?"
"No, isn't your grandmother teaching you
to weave?" He stopped, slinging his axe over his shoulder.
"No.
She said I was of no use." I blushed and looked down at my
hands, which were folded in front of me.
"Well, that's
alright. Perhaps you aren't suited for a women's art. Come with me."
Father put down his axe and walked towards the weaponry. "Now,
you do well at your martial arts training, even better than your
brother. But you need a weapon that'll be all your own." He
began to consider the new weapons aging in the sunlight outside the
shack. "Of course it'll have to be a new weapon. A new warrior,
new weapon, I always say. Oh, it's fine to have ancestral swords and
the like, but it's good to know you have something uniquely yours."
His gaze landed on a large bone hiraikotsu. "I think you can
wield this well. A distance weapon, an a rare one. Pick it up, Sango.
Let's see you lift it."
I walked to the weapon and
hefted it up on my back. "Chi-chiue, it's heavy."
"I
know, daughter. Let's take it outside."
I followed him
back out into the sunlight. "Now, be prepared to catch it,
'cause it will hit you and knock you out if you don't." Father
winked and I smiled my uneasy smile. "Give it a good swing."
I
used my whole body to throw the thing. When it came back around I
grabbed the handle with both hands and it spun me full circle. I
laughed. "Oh, Chi-chiue! This is wonderful! May I keep
it?"
Father smiled his warm, bright smile. "Of
course. Now, why don't you stop bothering me and go practice.That's a
powerful weapon. With enought practice, you might become a better
exterminator than most men."
He gave one last wink and turned back to his work. I lifted my new weapon over my shoulder and headed out towards the treeline to practice my new Hiraikotsu.