"D-Dont..." The dark haired girl shook and pulled her pale scrapped up knees even closer to her rail thin body and rag-like kimono, which probably used to be some shade of green , but had now faded into a dull gray-green and blood stained mess. Amidamaru and Mosuke took a cautious step towards her.
"D-don't come near me!" she screamed, intense anger and fear radiating from her as she jumped to her feet, which were spread wide in a stable fighting stance despite the little rivulets of blood that were leaking down from her knee's and from her cheek like red tears. A dagger was clutched Amidamaru was the first to notice both her impecable stance, and the blood that was pooling and soaking into the earth. When he nudged Mosuke and gestured to the blood, he nodded.
"You're bleeding. Don't you want help?" Mosuke suggested lightly. The girls knee's shook a little bit, and the knife in her hand rattled a little bit, but she stood silent and firm. Both Amidamaru and Mosuke took another hesitant step closer, inspiring more fear in the girl's lavender eyes.
"Don't come near me!" they took another step closer. That step seemed to be the straw to bring out the girl's instinct to fight. She flung out a fast precise swipe towards the aspiring sword smith and samurai, who jumped out of the way of both that swing, and the subsequent ones. Mostly, the girl focused on Amidamaru, somehow quickly determining that he was the stronger of the two when it came to fighting with blades.
"H-hey! We're not gonna hurt you!" Amidamaru called out as he blocked another well placed swing of her knife.
"H-h-how do I know that you're n-not lying?" she stated. Fear still prominent in her voice as she pulled back into a defensive position
"Cause we're not gonna! Isn't that reason enough?" Mosuke interjected. Crossing his arms, obviously annoyed. The girl eyed them both warily.
"D-do y-you promise?" They both nodded eagerly. A major wave of releif washing over them both as she put away the knife, which spawned some slightly awkward silence.
"My name's Mosuke! And this is my friend Amidamaru" Mosuke started amiably, trying to ease the frown off the girls moon shaped face.
"F-friends huh? You're lucky... to have a friend" She smiled sadly. Immediately Mosuke was struck. He hadn't seen paintings in his lifetime, and hadn't really many ideas about beauty either, but he knew that her smile was something rare. Both heart wrenching and beautiful, it was the smile of a fallen princess. A princess dressed in rags, and fallen victim to evil people trying to wrongly usurp her throne and use her powers for evil. This was a smile of legend, more beautiful then even the best-made sword.
"Where are your friends?" Amidamaru asked curiously, looking around excitedly. The girl's face dropped even more. Any hint of a smile disappearing.
"I don't really have any. And they're dead anyways, bandits got them." Mosuke frowned at her calm voice.
"You don't sound too sad about it" The corner of her mouth twitched.
"They didn't like me much, so I wasn't so close with them" Mosuke shrugged.
"Hey Amidamaru, you think she can stay with us and the other orphans?" Amidamaru nodded.
"We could use another protector in the group! And plus she already has a weapon!" He stated cheerfully, scratching the back of his head. Mosuke smiled at the girl.
"So what's your name Hime-chan?" Mosuke stated, which caused her to blush, and Amidamaru look at him strangely.
"H-Hime..." She whispered under her breath. Luxuriating in the silken silent feeling of the word in her mind. Someone thought she was a princess, a boy she barely knew had called her a princess instead of weird, or shy, or negetive.
"M-My name is Hinata... It's v-very nice to meet you, Amidam-maru-kun, M-Mosuke-kun" The girl, newly named Hinata, smiled a brighter smile. Later that night, after all of the younger kids had been put to bed, Hinata dangled her feet off of the edge of the abandoned temple they called home. It was more spacious then anything Hinata had ever known, but somehow she couldn't bring herself to be rid of the strange excitement that was building in her.
"What'cha doing up Hime-chan?" Hinata jumped slightly, and blushed at the nickname.
"N-Nothing" Mosuke sat down beside her, his arm barely brushing hers.
"You mind?" He asked, though he planned on staying no matter her answer. Hinata shook her head no.
"M-Mosuke-kun... May I ask you something?" Mosuke nodded, slipping his hand towards hers bit by bit, and hoping to god that she wouldn't notice it.
"Ask away Hime-chan" He smiled good naturedly as he slipped his hand over hers. As he suspected, her hands were the exact opposite of his own. While his were large in comparison to his body, strong, steady, and filled with healed over marks, and calluses from forging swords and general wear and tear. Her hands however were just as small as the rest of her, and pale too. They weren't the hands of a peasant surely, they were soft like spring grass, like Mosuke imagined silk would be. Far too soft to know the rigors of life. They were the hands of a princess. Hands that were treated lavishly with the kisses of princes, and bathed in creams, and never made to do anything.
"Why do you call me Hime? I'm the daughter of a slave. Just the opposite of royalty" Mosuke blinked. Had she stolen that knife and ran from whomever had enslaved her and her parents if she had any?
"Cause you look like a Hime" He stated simply, looking happily at a confused Hinata.
"How so?" She asked. Mosuke blushed slightly.
"J-just cause" He muttered. Hinata frowned.
"Will you tell me someday Mosuke-kun?" She asked expectantly. Mosuke smiled.
"Maybe I will, maybe I won't" Even her most nuetral expression was princess-like.
"I look forward to it Mosuke-Kun" Mosuke smiled. He really liked the way she said his name. The way the first two syllables blended like the ripples in the river, and the third stuck out like a post secured to the riverbed. Surely that was how a princess spoke, and surely the peaceful expression on her face was only accessible to those of royal blood.
"Goodnight Hime-chan"