The Hunter
Chapter Fourteen
When Rin awoke the next morning she found herself alone. Kohaku's futon was neatly folded in the corner of the room, but the man himself was nowhere to be found. Stifling a yawn, she rolled onto her back and stared up at the wooden ceiling. Her days of temporary freedom were numbered. Soon she would wake up in the palace of a feudal lord and all her hopes of a happy future would be lost.
Pulling in a deep breath, she let it out slowly and sat up. She wanted to hate Kohaku. She'd certainly tried her best to. In the beginning she'd even managed to convince herself that she did, but now… Kohaku had brought her back to life and restored long-forgotten hope to her heart. Despite knowing how their journey would end, she couldn't bring herself to hate him. They'd been through too much together and truthfully she pitied him a little.
Over the long days of they'd spent travelling from place to place, she'd considered his predicament more times than she could count. Each time she found herself stuck on the same question - if their roles were reversed, would she not do the same for her village? If it were her brothers, her parents, friends and neighbours who were starving, would she have the strength of will to say "No"?
She looked up as the door slid open and Kohaku entered carrying two breakfast trays.
"Ah, you're awake!" he greeted cheerfully. It seemed that whatever troubles had darkened his mood the previous day were no more. Seeing him returned to his usual disposition brought a hesitant smile to her lips. It was good to have him back.
After he'd removed his boots at the door, he scrutinized her more closely. "Sleep well?" he teased.
It was only then that she realized what she must look like – hair dishevelled, yukata all askew… She gave him a sour look and arranged her hair into a more presentable style. He grinned at her, amused, and set the trays down on the table.
She inspected the offerings - steamed rice, hearty miso soup, and freshly grilled fish. Her stomach growled in anticipation. She reached for the miso soup before Kohaku had even settled across from her. He attacked his breakfast with the same vigour, devouring alternating mouthfuls of rice and fish.
"Where did you go this morning?" she asked conversationally.
Kohaku finished the last of his rice and tea before answering.
"To the village. I sold the second horse and bought some supplies for the road ahead."
She nodded and poured fresh tea from the pot into his cup.
"What sort of supplies?" She hadn't seen him return with any, though perhaps he'd left them with the horse.
Kohaku shrugged dismissively and changed the subject. "While I was there I heard some of the villagers talking about the inn that burned to the ground."
She set down the teapot and gave him her full attention.
"What did they say?"
"Well, I couldn't figure out how the bandits had managed to track us this far. I thought they'd found us too easily but now it makes perfect sense. The innkeeper was a former member of the group. He'd heard they were searching for us and told the others when we arrived."
Rin frowned and crossed her arms in front of her chest, looking thoroughly displeased.
"I knew I didn't like the look of that man. I guess it's not such a surprise then that he was one of them."
He nodded in agreement and drank deeply from his cup.
"Well, the gods seem displeased with him," he observed with a thoughtful shrug. "I heard that he survived the fire, but as you saw there's nothing left of the inn. He will have to rebuild or start over somewhere new."
"Pity," she sniffed and finished off her tea.
They lingered at the table in companionable silence until Kohaku exhaled a long sigh and pulled himself to his feet.
"Are you ready?" He picked up one of the bags from the floor and slung it over his shoulder, then reached for another.
Rin reluctantly got to her feet and gathered up her belongings. She followed Kohaku outside and helped him load the lot onto the horse's saddle.
"As I recall, I left Kyoto with only the clothes on my back," she said and groaned as she lifted one of the heavier ones to him. "Where did all of these bags come from?"
"Most are from that village we stayed in after the wolf attack. Some of the others I've collected along the way," he explained as he took the next bag from her hands.
"What's in them?" She fiddled with the knot that kept the bag in her hands closed and attempted to untie it. Kohaku noticed and took the bag from her with a disapproving look. He put it with the others and then moved to her side.
"Here, I'll help you on."
He folded his hands together and stooped down to offer her a foothold but she waved him off. The innkeeper had tied the horse next to a rather large rock. She climbed it until she was high enough to slip her leg over the saddle and pull herself onto it. Kohaku watched her with his arms crossed and an amused smirk on his lips.
"Can't say I've ever seen anyone get on a horse like that before," he laughed.
"It worked, didn't it?" she replied haughtily. Kohaku chuckled and climbed up behind her.
"It's fine," he assured her. "It means you're resourceful - a good quality for any woman to have!"
He wrapped his wounded arm securely around her waist and took the rains with the other. With a cluck of his tongue and kick of his heels, he manoeuvred the horse down the village's main road. In no time it was behind them. The inn, the bandits, and the bruises on her neck…just like the village they would soon be little more than a distant memory.
xXx
"Sango swore she'd never speak to him again, right after she hit him in the face. I don't know what he was more shocked about: that he'd been bested by a woman or that she'd responded to his kiss with a fist to the nose!"
Kohaku laughed as his memory of that day came back to him in full colour. His sister red faced and seething standing over her would-be suitor with her fists clenched tight. At the time he'd been terrified, but now it made him laugh every time he thought of it. He and his sister had that in common - try as they might, they had terrible luck when it came to matters of love.
"Your sister sounds formidable. I think I'd like to meet her some day. Perhaps she could teach me a thing or two."
There were a dozen responses that flashed through his mind - I'd like you to meet her too; She'd like you; At my side you'd never have to worry about such dangers again… – but he said none of them. Instead he 'hmm'd' and replied, "Perhaps."
He was loathed to allow the conversation to lull and searched for something to say. Rin had kept him preoccupied with questions all morning. She wanted to know about the place where he grew up, how he'd trained to be a demon slayer and about his family too. He'd been talking for the better part of two hours with few breaks. Between the easy conversation and old memories re-emerging, it'd been an enjoyable morning.
Still, he wished that somewhere along the way he'd been able to learn more about her. He knew so little of her life before the brothel. She'd had a family and a home once. He'd hoped that in time she would volunteer some small detail or two, but she hadn't. Whether it was still too painful or she simply didn't trust him enough, the wall she'd erected around that part of herself remained impenetrable. He yearned to know the right words to break through, but he'd never been good with decorum. He was full of good humour and charm, but rarely said the right thing when it mattered.
"I'm curious about something…"
Rin's interjection caught him off guard and he had to ask her to repeat herself.
"I'm curious, why did you have us travel back to that village for your short sword? Why is it so important?"
"Ah," he said with a smile. "This sword has been with me through every training session, every fight and battle. It's become an extension of my body. I couldn't in good conscience leave it to rust in that pile of ash."
"Who gave it to you?"
"My father. He presented it to me when I came of age and was ready to begin my training."
He could remember the day clearly, even after all this time. Seven was the customary age for boys, and on his seventh birthday his father had taken him on a long walk around the village boundary. He'd told him that as a member of the village, protecting all the land within was now his shared responsibility. It was his duty to do whatever was necessary to safeguard the lives within the village walls. He could remember standing tall and swearing to do whatever was asked of him. He'd never seen his father look prouder.
"It's customary in my village for parents to do such a thing," he explained as the memory faded. "The sword has been with me ever since."
"I wish I had something like that to remember mine by," Rin said, her voice far off.
"You have a thousand memories in here," he reminded her and tapped his head lightly with his finger for emphasis. "Your family is there any time you want to see them."
"I know," she replied with a sad smile.
Kohaku found himself at a loss for something to say that would soothe her. Mercifully he saw a village he recognized up ahead. They could rest for a short while, maybe eat some lunch and find a bit of food for the horse. At the edge of the village, he pulled their horse to a stop. He'd passed through this place countless times on his journeys to Kyoto, but it was nothing like he remembered.
Urging the beast forward, he walked them through what was left of the town. On either side of the road homes stood empty, the coverings on their doors flapping aimlessly in the wind. Beyond the huts the fields sat barren, the soil little more than dust. Bad harvests had claimed yet another village. More families displaced, more communities destroyed. It was a stark reminder of what was at stake; without Rin's sacrifice the same fate would surely befall his own village.
"What happened here?" Rin gazed wide-eyed at the abandoned homes, looking horror struck.
"No rain, no food," he replied dully. "They leave or they starve."
As he said this they passed a small cemetery. It had far more gravestones in it than he could recall seeing before.
"Is this what it's like in your village?"
He didn't want to answer, but knew she wouldn't be satisfied unless he did. Clenching his jaw shut tight, he simply nodded.
He hadn't wanted her to see this, but maybe now that she had she might forgive him. It was little more than a fantasy but he held out hope that somewhere inside of her, her compassion would lead her to understand his motives even if she couldn't accept them.
Neither of them spoke until long after they'd cleared the eerily silent village. Seeing it had been a stark reminder to them both of exactly what was at stake and what he stood to lose if they failed.
Author's Note: I'm sorry for the wait between chapters, but I hope you've all had a lovely holiday. There are two new chapters today - please enjoy them!