Shirayuki woke up early the following morning excited to speak with her new neighbor, even making breakfast to share with the girl, but when she knocked on Kumiko's door she found the room empty. She didn't see the Lowen woman until midday when Shirayuki went out to the greenhouse. Kumiko had snagged one of the wooden training swords from the knight training hall and she was swinging it about at an oak tree. She was solely focused on practicing; perfecting her footwork, throwing her weight just right to disarm her opponent, wielding her blade like an extension of her arm.
Shirayuki halted her journey to the greenhouse to watch Kumiko spin and swing until the wooden sword fell from her hand. An angry hiss left her mouth as she pulled the blood splattered bandages from her left hand. The handle of the practice blade didn't sit well in her palm, not like her sword, leaving fresh blisters along the side of her palm and the space between her thumb and forefinger. On the positive side her knuckles were mostly healed thanks to Shirayuki's salve.
"Are you okay?" the redhead called.
Kumiko spun around to see Shirayuki jogging over to her while eyeing her hand.
Flexing her sore hand Kumiko replied, "It's just the casualty of practice."
Shirayuki grabbed the girl's hand thoroughly inspecting the bleeding blisters and the rough calluses along her fingers. Her brows pinched together as she looked up into Kumiko's sweat damp face.
"You shouldn't push yourself. There's still two weeks before the festival's contest, you don't want to burn out before then," she said with an honest smile.
"I don't want to get sloppy," Kumiko stated.
Releasing her left hand Shirayuki said, "If you follow me back I can treat your hand, but you should really rest it until the wounds heal."
Kumiko flexed her fingers again flinching at the sting that happened when she moved her thumb. "How long would that take?" she inquired.
"Day after tomorrow," Shirayuki answered.
Kumiko frowned. If she waited like Shirayuki suggested she would be losing a whole day of training, but then if she didn't wait she could lose so much more. Running her good hand through her chin length hair Kumiko huffed and scuffed her boot heel into the grass.
"If you wouldn't mind," she said.
Grinning Shirayuki said, "It'd be my pleasure."
Kumiko followed the herbalist to the greenhouse where she gathered what seemed like random plants, then off to her office with Garrak and Ryuu. The small boy glanced up at Kumiko once before dismissing her presence and returning to his work. Garrak on the other hand smirked into her teacup as the two girls walked in.
"What brings you here today Kumiko?" Garrak inquired.
Kumiko perched herself in the open window enjoying the spring breeze that filled the room. Rustling papers, musing hair, bringing the scent of flowers along with it. The girl lifted her hand, palm out, so the pharmacist could see the injuries.
"Sword fighting a tree," she shrugged.
"That's a new one," Garrak chuckled. Turning to her redheaded busybody the woman asked, "Are you treating her?"
"If it's okay," Shirayuki replied.
"You have time," Ryuu spoke up. But he didn't stop working, his hand scrawling across the paper at ridiculous speeds.
Shirayuki worked swiftly as she cleaned Kumiko's cuts, and applied a salve that earned a growl like hiss from the patient. After the fresh bandages were wrapped around her hand Kumiko stood with a "Thank you," but didn't move to leave.
"What's wrong?" Garrak asked.
"I have nothing to do," Kumiko realized.
With her hand out of use she had no idea how to kill time until she could return to training. Sulking in a tree leering at Mitsuhide was starting to get weird and only made her remember things she didn't want to.
"Good," came Obi's voice.
He swung in through the window landing right behind Kumiko who rolled her eyes as she turned to face him. He had on a playful grin that didn't make Kumiko feel any better about his arrival.
"We have a little trip to take," Obi announced.
"What?" Shirayuki questioned.
"Excuse me?" Kumiko raised a brow.
Obi gestured for her to follow him as he readied to jump out the window. Before he leapt he glanced at Kumiko with bright yellow eyes and said, "It'll be fun Little Mitsuhide."
Chasing after him she yelled, "It's Kumiko!"
"I can't believe I'm doing this," Kumiko deadpanned.
"It's just a quick job," Obi called back.
The two of them were on horses heading down into the city to personally retrieve a report for Prince Zen. Kumiko didn't want to do the simple task just for the fact that she did not work for Zen -though being the person who stole her sword didn't help his cause any. But apparently Obi was ordered not to leave without her -why? Kumiko couldn't say- and he snatched her hood away, promising its safe return after they retrieved the report.
"It's a one person task. I didn't have to come," Kumiko muttered.
"Weren't you bored?" Obi challenged.
"Doesn't mean I want to be spending my time running errands for the guy that is making me jump through hoops to get back what is mine," she grumbled.
Flicking the reigns of her horse she made the creature move faster until she was in front of Obi. Pleased with her new lead Kumiko smirked to herself as they trotted along.
"My master says otherwise," Obi commented. His horse hurried its pace until it was alongside Kumiko's, Obi eyeing her suspiciously. "So where'd you get the blade?" he questioned.
"I've always had it," she quickly lied. The words seemed rushed but they left her mouth smoothly like she had practiced them all her life.
"Oh?" he challenged.
Kumiko glared sideways at him as she once more took the lead. "Let's get this over with," she scoffed.
Passing her by Obi snickered, "Whatever you say Little Mitsuhide."
Annoyed Kumiko tightened her hold on the reigns and commanded her horse into a gallop putting several yards between them as she growled, "It's Kumiko."
From behind she could hear Obi's horse's hooves pounding the Earth as he caught up to her. Just below the rumble of the running horses his voice drifted up saying, "Right right."
After that the two of them raced to the city, both leaning forward wanting to win. The gates at the end of the trail practically glowing with victory. Obi and Kumiko neck-in-neck as they reached the gates, once through Kumiko jumped off her horse throwing her arms in the air.
She cheered wildly at her win while Obi tied the two horses to a pole by a bail of hay meant for the royal horses. When Obi made his way over to the celebrating Kumiko he was covering his mouth with his scarf hiding his amused laugh.
"I beat you," she bragged.
"Barely," Obi said.
"Still a win." She stuck her tongue out at him, brown eyes shining with a light that hadn't been there since her arrival at the castle.
Shaking his head Obi shrugged his shoulder gesturing for Kumiko to follow him. Which she did with a beaming grin and her head held high. They walked through the polished streets of Clarines passing seamen exchanging tales over pints of ale, bakeries with heavenly aromas, and kids chasing one another in a game. Kumiko knew it well, but she didn't bask in the memories. Instead she pushed her childhood to the dark recesses of her mind as she held onto the high of winning the horse race.
Obi stopped in front of a small building well known for being the hangout for visiting government officials. It wasn't quite a gentleman's club nor a bar though one did need the proper ID to even step inside. Kumiko looked towards Obi with an arched brow and a fading smile.
"You wait out here," he told her.
Glancing about the neighborhood Kumiko huffed. Standing around waiting was the last thing she wanted to do. "Make it fast," she said.
"In a rush for a rematch," Obi joked. Making his way up the white stone steps he flashed something at the fancy guard.
"And I'll win again," she called after him.
Obi disappeared into the building with a faint laugh while the guard gave her a reprimanding look that she brushed off.
Kumiko stepped across the brick street to the city square where she plopped down on a wooden bench to wait out Obi's info retrieval. She stared up at the puffy white clouds drifting aimlessly across the azure sky. The day was warm and pleasant, yet Kumiko's mood was quickly going down hill with each person that walked by. She should have been off training for the festival not lounging around waiting for a cat-eyed man to give her hood back.
Kumiko took a deep breath, taking in the smells of the city: the salty air, fresh bread, and the lingering stink of distant stables. Releasing the breath she crossed her legs settling in for a long wait.
"If it isn't the witch of Able Lane."
Kumiko's stomach dropped, and her body went cold at the sound of that voice. Deep, raspy and filled to the brim with arrogance. Kumiko hesitated to turn her gaze towards it, but when they fell upon the source her body went numb. She knew not having her sword was going to cause her problems, but she never imagined him.
"What, can't say hello? So rude, Witch," Jin Wataru smirked. It wasn't playful or friendly. It was cold and evil like a hunting demon Kumiko couldn't escape.
She shifted on the bench trying to ignore him, but he walked right for her. Dark eyes inspecting her like she was his prey and he wanted her head. As he neared Kumiko tried to casually get up from the bench but her legs were shaking, destroying any sort of illusion that she hadn't noticed Jin. She made for the white stone building Obi had entered, but before she managed three steps he was towering over her cutting off her path.
"Finally come back to curse us?" he interrogated. "I won't let that happen," he hissed.
"N-No," she stuttered. Kumiko mentally kicked herself for reverting back into her ten year old self when she had trained so hard to not be that pathetically weak girl anymore. Swallowing nervously she tried to speak again.
"M-My. . . My b-," she struggled.
"My business isn't with you!" How hard is that Kumiko, she internally screamed at herself.
"I don't care who you brother is, I doubt he even cares. When was the last time he even helped his evil little sister?" Jin challenged darkly.
Kumiko stared down at her boots as the man's aura clouded around her pulling her back into those horrible memories.
"That devil hair is proof of the demon you are. Filthy Witch," he spat.
She could feel people staring at them, no at her. Jin only calling attention to the silver streak in her hair and causing whispers to float about. Kumiko reached for her hood hoping to yank it up and make a run for her horse, but her hood was gone. Her hand froze halfway to her shoulder and clenched into a shaky fist. Her shield was taken same as her sword, leaving her completely defenseless.
"You should just die," he stated coldly.
"That's awfully bold coming from trash like you," Obi flatly said.
Jin spun around to see two yellow eyes narrowed at him belonging to a man with an intimidating presence to rival his own. Kumiko took a step back not liking the atmosphere that was gathering around the two of them.
"Who are you? The witch's black cat," Jin sneered.
"You don't want to know," Obi stated darkly. It was the voice of a man who had lost humor and had spent too much time in the darkness. It sent a chill through Kumiko.
"Couldn't get your knight of a brother to help you so you went and lured some poor soul in with your black magic," Jin shot at her.
"Little Mitsuhide," Obi called. His tone still flat and dangerously dark.
Kumiko looked up at him and he tossed her hood at her. She caught it with one hand, and didn't hesitate to pull it on.
As she tucked the edges under her jacket collar Obi said, "Go get the horses."
Part of her wanted to correct the name he had used, but the other part of her -the part that was a sobbing little girl- wanted to flee and never look back. That part of Kumiko won.
Frantically adjusting her hood Kumiko dashed out of the square as she heard Jin yelling after her about how horrible and wicked she was. She anxiously gnawed at her bottom lip as she untied the horses, mounting hers and holding the reigns to Obi's.
When he arrived neither of them said anything as he climbed into the saddle, or as they began their trip back to the castle. It wasn't until the castle wall was in view when Kumiko gazed ahead of her at Obi. His back stiff and the black chilling aura that had been rolling off of him in waves was now gone with no lingering trace.
"Hey," she called over the drumming of the horses' hooves.
Obi glanced back acknowledging her.
"Did you kill him?" she inquired.
Obi didn't respond right away, his gaze lingered on Kumiko before he turned back around. She was prepared not to get an answer, her question too stupid to have even been asked.
"No. I didn't," Obi replied.
Cracking the reigns Kumiko's horse took off into a full gallop as she muttered, "Too bad."
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