Authors note: Thank you AwakeInADream. I thought to give up this story, but you cheered me up! :)
Another place
Prologue
Gohda castle lived seven years in peace. No-one dared to step between the
Lady and her kingdom. Lady Kiku hadn't married a husband, but the rumour told
that she had a companion, man in her live. Ayame and her son, Yuki had moved to
live in the castle. They lived at the royal rooms, one of them in the old room
of Lord Gohda. The rest of the world was too busy to solve it's own problems
that it didn't bothered to step in this mighty and rich kingdom of the Lady
Kiku.
ACT SEVEN Once a ninja, now...
Chapter 21
-Monks-
Cold day was at it's high and the sun shined from the clear sky. The place seemed to be made out of class. You could all most hear the needle ping on it. It was only matter of minutes when the ice sticks would start to melt in the warmth. Those sticks hung on the edges of the monastery's roof reflecting the light of the northern sun.
The monastery was made red rocks and it was at least couple of hundred years old. It had stood still for a long time serving and protecting it's inhabitants.
The habitants were Buddhism monks. They populated almost all the near by villages and towns. About fifty monks lived them shelf by selling wine that they made. They were really very harmless group.
At least that was what they wanted the others to think. Behind the tick falls the black market was blooming. It was a hide out as well as a shelter. Anyone was welcome.
The monks didn't interfere directly on anything that happened there. Honestly most of them were really just monks who wanted live a normal life.
The library's were huge and hold a lot of knowledge. Someone would have said that unfortunately all of the marketable writings were obtained by the black market. One of the monks was reading a book on the rock table and another was cleaning the floor.
At the inner yard about five monks were carrying wine tub. Someone was dusting carpets and one just sat around making arrows to his crossbow. Of course not to assault a person but to hunt a small game like birds.
Out side the gates two monks had claimed on hill on the mountain. They were dressed in white long gowns and under the hem could sometimes see their brown sandals.
Those two were standing at the highest point of the mountain and they watched east stoned like statues. Their both had their cowl drawn over their head and they hold a walking stick that was very useful in these kind of surroundings.
"There…" The one who stood back said pointing a bird on the sky.
"Yes, I see…" His friend answered.
The bird was a hawk. It was their link to the outer world when things got quiet. The hawk landed on the hand of the one who stood in front of the other.
"It looks tired. What news does it have for us?"
"Probably nothing that we hadn't heard before… But let's see… Maybe you'll
surprise us this time, will you?" The monk said to the hawk and took a note off
its leg.
The hawk squawked so loudly that it stabbed the ears. The monk who had taken the message jumped and moved his hand farer from his face. His mate step forward and the hawk jumped to his arm. "Little spooked now, are we?" He said to both of them and strokes the hawk's feathery head.
One whit the message looked the animal suspiciously but didn't say anything. It might have an opinion about that too.
He opened the small scroll looking it as the other seemed to have a
speechless conversation whit the hawk. It didn't squawk or flapped like before.
How did he do that, the other wondered.
He sneered and his mate asked;
"So there is something new?"
"No… The same old… They are sending the town priest to visit us… oh boy…"
"I thought you whished someone to visit us?"
"But not her!"
The hawk squeaked again.
"Careful, careful… Don't you see that it has come a long way and just to bring
you this important message…?"
"In my shoes… you wouldn't be making fun about it…"
"Maybe… I would do something about it...?."
"…It's not that simple…I…I…"
"What are you afraid of mate? I don't think that she would blow the whistle now, would she?"
"Maybe not…"
"I'm sure she wouldn't. Let's go back… you better get ready for tomorrow…"
He started to walk down the hill and soon his monk friend joined him.
Chapter 22
-Religious man-
A monk walked in the woods. He was one of the monks that lived in the red monastery. It was late time to be hunting as the sun was setting down. Did he even carry a crossbow?
He had his walking stick whit him even thought the environment didn't require it. He came to an open area. The ground was rocky and nothing crowed on it.
The man stopped on one of the rocks and claimed to sit on it. He took a pipe of his sleeve and started smoking something like an old man even thought he wasn't that old.
The sun set behind him. He didn't care to watch it. He would have much rather seen the stars that already blinked a little on the sky.
He had sat there for about quarter of an hour and it was dark. Not dark like in sack but crepuscular. The monk had burned out his pipe and put it back to his sleeve. He looked upon the sky and thought of seeing a hawk, but did they fly at this late hour?
He knew that someone was coming. Actually he knew who was coming to fetch him. He turned his head to look at his right in to the forest.
Little figure dressed in white kimono appeared between the leaves and bushes. She was a maiden at the near by house. She didn't see him at first and when she did she jumped a pit startled making a tiny noise.
"I'm the one you are looking… Let's go…" The monk said and rose from the rock.
The maiden wasn't quite convinced. "Show you're face so I can be sure…"
"How would you be sure…you haven't seen me before?"
"I know when I see you…"
The monk took off his cowl and stepped in front of the woman. He was strong
and muscular; she could see that even upon his face. The monks' hair was not so
ordinary, it was almost silvery, and he had observing, green eyes that made
people to trust him. The maiden looked at him carefully like surprised to see
who he was.
"…But I do know you… I have seen you at the village whit the other
monks…Rikimaru, right?"
He nodded. Guessing what the other thought they didn't speak. Then after couple seconds of silence the maiden turned saying; "Fallow me…"
They walked quit quickly to the forest line and she said. "Oh.. By the way I'm Miyu… My Lady has been expecting you..." She said turning around and then again watching her step.
Rest of the journey they didn't speak.
After few minutes they arrived to the village. Some of the candles had been lightened. It was much darker now.
Miyu lead Rikimaru to a back door of a castle sized house. She watched carefully that no one didn't see them when they walked in the corridors. They moved away from the servant's hall and their proceeding got slower.
Rikimaru did only fallow like he was suppose to do. But he couldn't help it. He scanned every corner and every room they passed. It was an old happed. And lucky for so other vies they would have get caught, when they game to the third and the last floor. Rikimaru suddenly jumped behind a plaster fall drawing Miyu whit him.
The girl panicked at first when he put his hand on her mouth, but realized then the reason for his behaviour. Soon a guard walked past them. He was fully armed but pit of sleepy and didn't bother to check every room.
Whit out chancing a word they continued along the corridor until they came to doors.
Miyu knocked in a rhythm and waited. The door opened to the room. She told him to go in.
Rikimaru walked past the girl and she closet the door leaving him in the room.
The room was wide but full of junk. Vases, lamps, candles, spare racks,
other racks, veils, paintings, everything. The room looked very much orange and
grey when it had been lightened weakly. He had been here before.
"You here…" The Lady of the house said softly. She was called Kagura.
"Where else… Kagura…"
She laughed. "I don' no…Rikimaru…" Kagura was dressed on a night gown and she
had bells on her hair. She walked closer and stopped in front of her writing
desk that was surrounded by all that stuff that had been jammed in the room.
"…Next door maybe…" She said and glanced over him.
"I'm here…now…"
Kagura opened the upper chest of the desk. She lifted some papers off it and
under a bogus bottom of the chest she took tiny leather sac.
"You know…Rikimaru…" She hold her breathe before sighting. She put the chest
back closed.
Kagura tossed the sac on the table and it made a golden tinkle sound.
"I don't really need to do this to get a man… I could get anyone… Anyone I
wanted. …But I want you Rikimaru…"
They had gone this over and over again. He couldn't change her mind.
"And you'll have me… for this night… I am only yours… my dear Kagura…"
She sneered disappointed for his round answer. If she was not going to have
any better one now she might as well sidle what she had now. There would be
other times. She would have him all for herself.
"…Take of that monks gown… I wanna see my Rikimaru…the one who loves me…"
Chapter 23
-Power that she holds-
Rikimaru watched the body that lay next to his naked form. She was a sleep. Few hours ago he had arrived here in this room. He stayed only to be sure that she was a sleep and would not wake up, because if she would she would again beg him to stay.
Kagura wasn't the only one of his baying –lady friends-, but he didn't want to stop seeing her. She reminded him about someone. Sure she was possessive and was hard to come along whit.
He was sure she wouldn't wake up. He turned to his other side and rose from
the bed. His ninja abilities hadn't gone to waste he thought when he walked
between the vases and desks. Finally he came to his gown and picked it up.
"All ready going, my love?"
How did she do that… Rikimaru wondered when he turned around and saw her sitting on the bed.
"Wouldn't you stay… just for a while…"
Rikimaru hadn't made a sound when he had walked across the room. How had she known? Rikimaru pulled on his gown and walked back to the bed where Kagura was waiting an answer. He leaned over and kissed her.
"Please don't go…" She continued.
"I can't stay…"
"Can't or don't want to!"
"Kagura, my love…you know why I won't stay, why are you doing this for
yourself?"
Rikimaru said it softly not angry. He holding her when she sat on the bed
looking glum. Kagura hanged on his gown. "I can bay you… If that is what you
want…?" He smiled back hoping just to get away.
"I don't need money for now…" He said blankly and moved from the bed. He still
stayed there to tie the robe around his waste.
"Something else then…anything… you name it."
He thought of her offer.
"I want something that you can't give… No-one can… sorry"
"Is it…Is it someone that you loved? Or something else you left behind…?"
"Let it go Kagura." He said all ready walking to pick up his walking stick and
then out. He was about to open the door when she shouted;
"Wait! I can show them to you…!"
Rikimaru stopped at the door and thought could it be possible to see his family. Kagura noticed his reaction. "Who ever they are… where ever they are…"
He turned around at the door forgetting his need to get away.
"…Show me then…If you really can…"
Kagura put on his clothes quickly and walked to him. "Come closer… Give me
your hands…" He did as she told. Kagura closed her eyes. "You need to trust me,
Rikimaru… Will you?"
"I'll trust you…"
"I mean completely… No secrets, no doub?"
"…I'll trust you."
They stood in the floor holding hands and in a few seconds a misty mirror
appeared between them. The mirror still floated in the air when Kagura opened
her eyes. She smiled when seeing Rikimaru's wondering face. Finally she had
gotten his attention. She could give him something that no one else could.
"What do you want to see? …Come on… trust me… Rikimaru… Who do you wanna see?"
"I…I want to see my former home…"
Mirror clove in the dark room as all the candles were blown by the wind that
suddenly came to the room. The image in the mirror turned first black and then
grey.
Until the picture appeared. For first time in eight years he saw Gohda castle. It was pretty much the same. Kagura observed interested. She didn't really know anything about her lover.
"Does it show the present… is this even real…"
"Yes…" Kagura replied. "Do you wish to see someone?"
"…Ayame?"
Image turned to black again and then grey and then he saw her. She was the same
whit her long black hair and thinking look in her eyes. She wears a blue kimono
and was talking to someone. She smiled and laughed whit that person.
"Why can't I see who that one is?"
"You don't have a memory… of him… That's why you can't…"
"…can you see him?"
"Yes."
"..How does he look like? …How old he is…"
"He's a child…" Kagura said. She was crowing jealous. She pulled her hands out of his and the mirror throb down broking in to pieces. Soon it famished like water from hot platform.
She turned backwards to him.
"Why did you that?" Rikimaru asked to her.
"You saw what you wanted, what you needed to see… She is happy whit out you,
forget her…"
"I can not just…"
"Because you don't want to?"
"Because I can't…"
"You would like to see her again…to be whit her, would you? …You don't have to answer…"
Kagura turned around and she was changed. "I know you wanna be whit her…"
Rikimaru saw Ayame standing face to him. He couldn't believe what his eyes
told him. She walked closer to him and hanged her self on him.
"What is…this…" She kissed him stroking his hair and said;
"I can be her… for you…Rikimaru, my one and only love…"
"Kagura…?"
"No silly… It's me Ayame…" She all most sounded like her and he let the fake
Ayame kiss him again.
Rikimaru pulled away. "No… You are not Ayame… You never could be…" He crabbed her hands and pulled her away from him like she had been a rose that tangled on him by its spikes.
Rikimaru was about to left. Kagura changed back to her shelf.
"You owe me, don't you dare to leave…!"
He stopped thinking should he leave or not. Could he broke his connection to his best baying customer. Yes, but…
Rikimaru turned to her looking angry. He tossed the sac of money back to
Kagura. She didn't catch it. She just let it throb front of her toes.
"Take this…" He had said. "Don't ever do that again… It's all the same if you
don't want to see me again in business… It's your choice."
He left and Kagura cried.
Maybe he had been too hard on her. Maybe she didn't mean any harm. But now Rikimaru's head was full of images about Ayame. She was like he had remembered, or then just more attractive looking.
And the boy, had it been his son? Did he have a son? The thought made him feel pain and happiness in same feeling. He had missed them but no he missed them even more.
If he hadn't given his promise to her to stay away he had gone there right then whit out even looking back.
Rikimaru was now out of the castle. He stopped behind a tree leaning on it. I have a son… We have a son Ayame…
He would have to go back to Kagura and she would have to take him back. She had seen his son. Didn't know you were a witch, Kagura… He smiled looking at the house. …Why did I leave the money…? Stupid me.
Rikimaru smirked for the thought that she would probably have been furious for him about two days and then cooled of. Now… …Well I let her think about it…
He left to sleep to his home that was the monastery. After all he did have long nights of work waiting for him.
END OF ACT SEVEN
R&R Please!
