Kyoto, 1863
Aoshi rested his chin on his knees and sighed. Everyone seemed to have forgotten about him. But that was to be expected. Murasaki had borne three children already and all of them had died. And this one being so early.
A gentle hand rested on Aoshi's shoulder. "She wants to see you," Okina said.
Aoshi jumped to his feet. "Is she all right?" he asked. "The baby-"
"-is living," Okina said. "But Murasaki."
The boy didn't wait to hear the rest. He tore into the house and into his foster mother's room. "Murasaki-san!" he gasped.
"Aoshi," she smiled. Murasaki beckoned to him. "Come see my baby."
He crept closer. Murasaki was very pale- so pale it frightened him. But her arm was warm as she drew him to her side.
There was a tiny baby sleeping in the crook of Murasaki's arm. She was incredibly small, with a face delicately shaped like a white rose. Murasaki smiled and traced the curve of the baby's cheek. "She looks like a little bird, doesn't she, Aoshi?" she murmured. "Will you promise to take care of my baby, Aoshi?"
He nestled against her. "Are you going to die, like my kaa'san did?" he asked. Death was nothing new to him.but to see Murasaki die.
Her fingers were gentle as she stroked his hair. "I am, love," she said. "I can't stay here any longer." Murasaki kissed first his forehead, then his eyelids. "You must promise to keep my baby safe. Her life will be hard- so very hard."
"I promise, Murasaki," Aoshi blurted out. The young woman kissed her infant daughter, then placed her in his arms. "What is her name?"
Murasaki was silent for a long moment. Then her blue eyes opened once more. "I would like you to name her, Aoshi," she said. "For it is you who will take care of my little bird."
Through his tears Aoshi laid his forehead against the baby's. "I will name her.Misao," he said.
Murasaki smiled gently, rested her hand on his knee, and softly quit breathing. Misao awoke and opened her eyes, her brilliant blue eyes. Aoshi stared at her- not even five hours old, and already alone. Aoshi kissed the baby's cheek.
"I promise to protect you," the ten-year-old said. "I promise not to let anything happen to you."
"That's a big promise." Hanya, a handsome young man of fifteen, smiled at them. "She's a tiny child, isn't she?"
"Her name is Misao," Aoshi said.
Hanya held out his arms. "May I hold her?" he asked.
Reluctantly Aoshi placed the baby in Hanya's arms. She screwed up her face and began to cry. Hanya laughed. "It's clear she knows you," he said, handing her back to Aoshi. "We'll have to take care of her ourselves, now that her mother has died."
"I can do it," Aoshi said confidently. "I am all she has left now."
*****
Aoshi closed his eyes, the summer wind waving through his dark hair. He stretched out on the porch and yawned sleepily. It was such a lazy day today. The Aoyia had been entirely uneventful. He was almost asleep when a big hand shook him awake.
"Aoshi!" Hanya said. "Aoshi, wake up and look at Misao!"
Aoshi bolted upright. "What? What's wrong?" he demanded.
"Look," Hanya said.
Misao had raised herself onto her slim little legs, balancing precariously on her own. She took one tiny step, and then another. She was halfway across the porch when she flopped over. But instead of crying like most children would have, she knitted her little eyebrows together, glowered, and stomped her heels against the floor.
Aoshi smiled. "Come on, Misao," he coaxed. "Come to me."
Misao perked up at his voice. Resolutely she hoisted herself up and toddled over to Aoshi, finally plunking herself down in his lap. She giggled brightly as Aoshi tickled her and batted her little hands against the sides of his face. He kissed the palms of her hands. The summer sunshine was warm against the two children's faces.
*****
"Aoshi-sama?" The voice was soft and tiny, barely loud enough to wake him. "Aoshi-sama?"
Aoshi sat up. "Misao?" he mumbled blearily. "What's wrong?"
He could see the outline of the little girl standing in the doorway, her blanket clutched in her little hand. Misao ran to him, hurtling herself into his arms. "I had a bad dream!" she sobbed.
He stroked her hair. "A bad dream, little bird? Was there a bad monster?"
"Hai," she sniffled. Aoshi settled the little girl on his lap. "Big and dark monster."
"A big dark monster, eh?" he repeated. "And he scared you?"
She nodded timidly.
Aoshi reached over and picked up the small knife he kept by his futon. "You've seen the big swords that Okina and Hanya and I carry, right?" he asked.
"Big swords," Misao agreed.
"I'm going to give you a very small sword, Misao, so that you can fight that bad monster when he comes back. But you must be very careful not to hurt yourself, all right?" he warned.
"Hai," Misao said.
Aoshi set her back on her feet. "Now back to bed, Misao-chan." He lay down again and pulled the covers over him.
A small hand patted his head. "Aoshi-sama?" Misao said. "Can I sleep with you?"
Aoshi sighed. There would be no peace in this household if he told Misao no. "All right," he agreed reluctantly. The tiny girl curled up next to him like a sleepy kitten and was asleep in seconds, pressed against his chest.
Aoshi rested his chin on his knees and sighed. Everyone seemed to have forgotten about him. But that was to be expected. Murasaki had borne three children already and all of them had died. And this one being so early.
A gentle hand rested on Aoshi's shoulder. "She wants to see you," Okina said.
Aoshi jumped to his feet. "Is she all right?" he asked. "The baby-"
"-is living," Okina said. "But Murasaki."
The boy didn't wait to hear the rest. He tore into the house and into his foster mother's room. "Murasaki-san!" he gasped.
"Aoshi," she smiled. Murasaki beckoned to him. "Come see my baby."
He crept closer. Murasaki was very pale- so pale it frightened him. But her arm was warm as she drew him to her side.
There was a tiny baby sleeping in the crook of Murasaki's arm. She was incredibly small, with a face delicately shaped like a white rose. Murasaki smiled and traced the curve of the baby's cheek. "She looks like a little bird, doesn't she, Aoshi?" she murmured. "Will you promise to take care of my baby, Aoshi?"
He nestled against her. "Are you going to die, like my kaa'san did?" he asked. Death was nothing new to him.but to see Murasaki die.
Her fingers were gentle as she stroked his hair. "I am, love," she said. "I can't stay here any longer." Murasaki kissed first his forehead, then his eyelids. "You must promise to keep my baby safe. Her life will be hard- so very hard."
"I promise, Murasaki," Aoshi blurted out. The young woman kissed her infant daughter, then placed her in his arms. "What is her name?"
Murasaki was silent for a long moment. Then her blue eyes opened once more. "I would like you to name her, Aoshi," she said. "For it is you who will take care of my little bird."
Through his tears Aoshi laid his forehead against the baby's. "I will name her.Misao," he said.
Murasaki smiled gently, rested her hand on his knee, and softly quit breathing. Misao awoke and opened her eyes, her brilliant blue eyes. Aoshi stared at her- not even five hours old, and already alone. Aoshi kissed the baby's cheek.
"I promise to protect you," the ten-year-old said. "I promise not to let anything happen to you."
"That's a big promise." Hanya, a handsome young man of fifteen, smiled at them. "She's a tiny child, isn't she?"
"Her name is Misao," Aoshi said.
Hanya held out his arms. "May I hold her?" he asked.
Reluctantly Aoshi placed the baby in Hanya's arms. She screwed up her face and began to cry. Hanya laughed. "It's clear she knows you," he said, handing her back to Aoshi. "We'll have to take care of her ourselves, now that her mother has died."
"I can do it," Aoshi said confidently. "I am all she has left now."
*****
Aoshi closed his eyes, the summer wind waving through his dark hair. He stretched out on the porch and yawned sleepily. It was such a lazy day today. The Aoyia had been entirely uneventful. He was almost asleep when a big hand shook him awake.
"Aoshi!" Hanya said. "Aoshi, wake up and look at Misao!"
Aoshi bolted upright. "What? What's wrong?" he demanded.
"Look," Hanya said.
Misao had raised herself onto her slim little legs, balancing precariously on her own. She took one tiny step, and then another. She was halfway across the porch when she flopped over. But instead of crying like most children would have, she knitted her little eyebrows together, glowered, and stomped her heels against the floor.
Aoshi smiled. "Come on, Misao," he coaxed. "Come to me."
Misao perked up at his voice. Resolutely she hoisted herself up and toddled over to Aoshi, finally plunking herself down in his lap. She giggled brightly as Aoshi tickled her and batted her little hands against the sides of his face. He kissed the palms of her hands. The summer sunshine was warm against the two children's faces.
*****
"Aoshi-sama?" The voice was soft and tiny, barely loud enough to wake him. "Aoshi-sama?"
Aoshi sat up. "Misao?" he mumbled blearily. "What's wrong?"
He could see the outline of the little girl standing in the doorway, her blanket clutched in her little hand. Misao ran to him, hurtling herself into his arms. "I had a bad dream!" she sobbed.
He stroked her hair. "A bad dream, little bird? Was there a bad monster?"
"Hai," she sniffled. Aoshi settled the little girl on his lap. "Big and dark monster."
"A big dark monster, eh?" he repeated. "And he scared you?"
She nodded timidly.
Aoshi reached over and picked up the small knife he kept by his futon. "You've seen the big swords that Okina and Hanya and I carry, right?" he asked.
"Big swords," Misao agreed.
"I'm going to give you a very small sword, Misao, so that you can fight that bad monster when he comes back. But you must be very careful not to hurt yourself, all right?" he warned.
"Hai," Misao said.
Aoshi set her back on her feet. "Now back to bed, Misao-chan." He lay down again and pulled the covers over him.
A small hand patted his head. "Aoshi-sama?" Misao said. "Can I sleep with you?"
Aoshi sighed. There would be no peace in this household if he told Misao no. "All right," he agreed reluctantly. The tiny girl curled up next to him like a sleepy kitten and was asleep in seconds, pressed against his chest.