As it turns out, running away from home is harder than it sounds. At least that's what was running through Masami Hashimoto's mind as she ran through the northern woods of Hakuma, the eastern region of Hyuga. Masami didn't make the decision to leave her home lightly. She thought it through many times. Unfortunately, it hadn't gone any of the ways that she had thought of.

Masami's plan was to head for the capital, Yamato, but she was only two days into her journey when she was able to determine that she was terribly lost. The Hashimoto Clan was one of the more celebrated and notable of noble clans, Masami's clothes we're evidence enough. She had come across a group of men on the road and asked them for directions. They took one good look at her clothes and determined that she was wealthy.

They were right, as Masami wore a bright red kimono made of silk. Silk was the most expensive fabric in the country, and it was rumored that most people spent their lives without ever even touching it. Masami had initially believed the rumors weren't true, but now as those three men, that she now presumed to be bandits, chased her through the woods she was beginning to believe those rumors.

Masami had run as fast as she could when the bandits pulled out knives on her. Now, Masami was a small and petite girl, but the bandits had longer legs and knew the woods far better than a sheltered thirteen-year-old bookworm did. She could hear them taunting her as she ran, more scared than she had ever been.

"Aye, where ya goin? We 'just wan ta talk." Masami judged by their accents that they were originally from the southern region.

Masami ignored their taunts, especially when they started getting vulgar. How can they do this to me, I'm just a kid? She thought. And as usual, Masami became distracted by her thoughts and didn't notice the tree root sticking out of the ground in front of her, and she tripped.

The sudden trip made her yell out. "Ahh!" As she fell flat on her face, her knapsack falling away from her. She could hear them laughing at her as she slowly tried to get up. Then one of them grabbed her by the collar and pushed her up against the tree whose root she had tripped on.

"Wait, " One of the other bandits said, his voice now full of cation and worry. "We've gone too deep. We should leave."

"We will." The one that was holding up Masami said, his breath smelling like tobacco. "After we've had some fun." His eyes looked into Masami's.

Masami felt an intense rush of fear even more than when she was running, but it wasn't what the bandit said, anything he was doing, or about to do. What scared Masami was the person who had just appeared right behind him.

There was blood running into the dirt and two bodies to match. The bandit didn't even notice anything was wrong, as he stroked Masami's cheek with his knife, until a hand grabbed his shoulder and squeezed. Crying out in sudden, terrible pain the bandit dropped Masami and sunk to his knees as the hand crushed his shoulder.

That was when Masami had finally got a good look at him, or rather her. It was a woman to Masami's surprise. She hoped for a moment that a noble samurai would come to save her in her moment of crises, but standing there was a woman with black hair and a matching black kimono covered in dirt. Her kimono was left open in the middle showing an ample amount of cleavage bound by dirty white breast bands, and Masami could see several scars across her skin. Her hair was long and messy, predictably dirty, and cast a shadow over her eyes under the canopy of trees. Her eyes were black, small, and intense, and we're glassy, but her expression is what Masami was afraid of.

It looked like Masami was looking at wild beast, a ferocious predator, rather then a person. "Ahh!" The bandit cried out, trying in vain to pry the woman's hand off of his shoulder. "Who're ya! Kill 'er!" He ordered his companions, not knowing that this beast woman had already killed them.

"So, you like picking on little girls, huh?" The woman said, her voice scaring Masami as much as her expression did. She leaned in to speak directly into the bandit's ear. "Your friends are dead already." That was when the woman's icy voice turned the bandit's expression from pained to panicked. "How's it feel to be the one whose helpless?" Masami could smell urine, and for now, it wasn't her own.

The woman's eyes locked onto Masami's. "Hey kid, close your eyes." When Masami didn't react, the woman added. "Close yer eyes!" Is that a southern accent? For a moment Masami thought she heard an accent but quickly shut her eyes as tightly as she could.

It was only a few seconds, but they felt like hours. Masami didn't hear anything, nor did she feel anything. Not until she heard the woman say. "Okay kid, it's all clear." Masami hesitated, but slowly opened her eyes. And what she saw wasn't what she expected. The filthy woman was standing there with one hand held out and Masami's knapsack in the other. And once again the woman's expression surprised her.

The woman's eyes were still glassy, but they were softer and friendlier, and she smiled big and brightly at her. Her teeth we're surprisingly white.

Is this really the same person? Masami thought. Her hand was shaking as she reached for the woman, who grabbed hold of her and pulled her to her feet. Masami was quick to notice how rough the woman's hands were, and they had multiple scars on them. Masami was also quick to notice that the woman had a black katana tied to the white obi around her waist. Masami was shocked to see one as she thought that only samurai carried katana unless she was a ronin...

"Heres your bag." The woman said, interrupting Masami's thoughts.

Masami's face flushed as she took her knapsack. "T-thank y-you." She stuttered.

"No problem." The woman smiled right before her fist came down and bonked Masami on the head.

"Aah!" Masami yelped, more in surprise than pain.

"What the hell are you doing out here alone, kid?" The woman asked. She was angry, but it was nothing like the terrifying expression from before. "Don't you know how dangerous the roads are, especially for a girl?"

Masami's eyes started watering as all of the emotion came pouring out. "I'm sorry." Masami wept. She heard the woman sigh before she grabbed Masami by the head and hugged her into her bosom.

"You're just lucky I heard you scream, and that I don't like mountain bandits. And also that I had nothing better to do today." The woman spoke, but it sounded like she was just making up excuses.

Masami felt composed enough to pull away. "Thank you for helping me." Masami bowed low to the woman in the most sincere way she knew how to give thanks.

With an uncomfortable expression, the woman turned away and started walking before adding. "Yeah well, just be careful."

Masami felt a sudden rush of panic at the thought of being left alone again. "Wait!" She said louder than she planned. "Don't go! I'm lost and I could use the help!" Masami said as she looked around and noticed the distinct lack of bodies. There was blood, sure, but no evidence of where it came from.

The woman stopped and sighed and with her back still facing Masami she started. "Look, kid, I'm not a..."

Masami quickly cut her off. "I can pay you!" Masami quickly fished her coin purse out of her bag, the woman could hear the coin clacking together from where she stood.

The woman turned, and on her was face was that terrifyingly intense expression, this time focused on Masami. "If I do this, you have to listen to whatever I say, got it?"

Despite that expression looking right at her, Masami couldn't help but smile. "Yes, of course! You know how to survive better on the road than I do!"

"Then let's get going." The woman said.

"Wait, we can't yet!" Masami stopped her.

"What, why?"

Masami sat down and took out her writing supplies. As she started to write on the piece of paper, the woman walked over and looked over her shoulder as she wrote. "We have to sign a contract." And when Masami was done she added two lines at the bottom and signed her name on the top one. Then she held the contract up to the woman. "I'm sure you'll find these terms fair!"

The woman stared at the contract, reading it through. Masami began to worry as the woman took her time reading it. Maybe Masami should have offered her more ryō. Her worry went away and was quickly replaced by outrage.

"Yeah, I can't read."

"What!" Masami's yell echoed throughout the forest. "How can you not read! That's horrible!"

"I wouldn't say horrible."

"There is so much knowledge and the stories you're missing out on!" Masami went on and on about school, and literature until the woman bonked her on the head again. "Ow."

"It's no big deal, kid." The woman spoke calmly. "Lots of people can't read and write."

But all Masami heard was, "You can't write either!"

Taken aback by Masami's second outburst, the woman asked. "Aren't they pretty much the same thing?"

Instead of answering Masami held up her brush to the woman. "Take it." She demanded. She placed the contract on the trunk of a tree, and the woman took the brush in her left hand. "I'll help you."

"Can't you just write it for me?"

"No! It has to be authentic!" Masami grabbed the woman by her left wrist and guided her hand to the paper. But then the thought had just occurred to her. "I'm Masami Hashimoto." She bowed her head.

The woman hesitated like she wasn't expecting to have to give out her name. "I-I'm Retsu." Was all she said.

"Don't you have a family name?" Masami asked with a little sadness in her voice.

"Does it matter!" She snapped. Clearly, it was a sensitive issue for the woman, so Masami just turned to the contract and helped Retsu spell out her name.

"There!" Masami beamed as she held up the contract. "Now we're honor-bound to be traveling companies."

The woman named Retsu just looked at her. She didn't look happy, or have any real expression. Masami wasn't sure, but she could swear that her expression was one of disappointment.

Then she asked as they started walking. "Where were you headed?"

"The capital, Yamato."

Retsu's face scrunched in disgust. "Why?"

"Why? Not only is it the capital of Hyuga, but it's also it's cultural center! It's a wonderland of the arts and education!" Masami was confused as to why anyone wouldn't want to go to Yamato.

"And I already regret this."

They walked for hours, and as night drew near, Retsu took them off of the road and into the forest. Masami watched as the woman picked them out a nice spot to camp for the night. Although she couldn't read or write, she seemed to know how to camp.

The ronin quickly made a fire pit of stone and fallen branches and cleared a spot for Masami's bedroll. As Masami unrolled her bedroll for the night she noticed that Retsu didn't have anything with her other than the clothes on her back and the sword at her belt. She had no bedroll, food or supplies, or even a jug for water.

What was she doing out here without any camping supplies? Masami thought as Retsu said. "I'll be right back. Yell if something happens."

"Yes, ma'am." Masami said as the ronin walked out of sight. Alone Masami pulled out the book she had with her. She had brought with her a copy of "The Moon Slayer". It was her favorite book about a samurai so powerful that his blade could cut the moon itself. Masami had long since forgotten how many times she had read and reread it.

As Masami read a funny thought came to her. She pictured that instead of the hero of the story, Ichigo, it was Retsu. Although it was a fleeting thought, the idea became stuck, and she found herself reading seven passages with the idea that her new bodyguard was fighting skeletons and dragons, and "slaying" the moon.

Retsu was far from the romanticized idea of a hero, but she did help Masami without her asking. And that was what the heroes she read about always did. Masami read for as long as the light allowed her, Retsu returning just before sunset.

The ronin was carrying a deer carcass on her back, de-limbed and beheaded to Masami's shock and horror. "I brought dinner." Was all Retsu said before setting up the carcass on a spit over the fire pit.

"You, you caught that?" Masami managed to say.

"Yup." Retsu said as she started rubbing two sticks together in order to get a fire started. "Don't tell me "Miss educated" doesn't know where meat comes from." She teased.

Her cheeks flushing, Masami said. "Of course I do! I've just never had to see what it looks like...you know, before."

"You really are a rich kid, aren't you?" Retsu pointed one of the sticks at her. "I can teach you how to hunt."

Masami's stomach felt a little sick at the thought of killing an animal on her own. "No thank you."

"Whatever." Masami noticed that Retsu was having trouble getting a fire started.

"Let me help." Masami said as she approached the fire pit.

Retsu laughed. "Thanks but I've got it." Masami ignored her and instead pulled out a slip of paper from her sleeve and placed in the center of the pit. "That's not going to..."

Masami clapped her hands together and the talisman she placed in the pit erupted into flames. Retsu jumped up to her feet in surprise, as Masami reached into her bag. "Now I can get tea started."

Retsu stared at her in silence as Masami took out her teapot and filled it with water. And when she placed the pot by the fire, Retsu bonked her on the head again.

"Ow, what was that for?" Masami's cheeks puffed up in anger.

"You're a Shugenja!" Retsu said in outrage more than asked.

Surprised, Masami said. "Well yes. Couldn't you tell?"

"No I couldn't tell!" Retsu yelled. "Why didn't you fight back against those bandits?"

Taken aback, Masami said. "I can't hurt someone. That's awful. And besides, I'm too young to learn offensive spells anyway." Retsu hit her again. "Ow, stop that!"

"You're such a kid." Retsu said turning her attention to their dinner, her face unreadable.

"And you're a brute." Masami retaliated and pouted as she sat down in front of the fire.

"What are you ten?" Retsu said as she sat down next to her.

"I'm thirteen! Why does everyone think I'm ten?" Masami pouted more. Retsu laughed at that. "It's not funny!"

"It's kind of funny!"

When the water in the teapot became hot enough Masami put a bag of green tea leaves in it, then poured two cups, giving one to Retsu only out of politeness. She was still sore about their conversation. Retsu took the cup, smelled it and made a disgusted face, but took a sip anyway.

"What?" Masami asked.

"I'm just not a fan of sweets is all." Retsu took another sip, her face sour.

"I'll have you know that's the best green tea in Hakuma." Masami pouted.

"And it hurts my teeth." Retsu went about stoking the flames with her stick, but as the fire came from a talisman there was nothing in the pit to stoke.

Masami watched her and decided to ask. "Um, Retsu, " She hesitated. "Why were you out here all alone?"

There were a few seconds of silence before she answered. "Just camping."

Masami looked down into the fire, a familiar despair filling her. "No, you weren't. You don't have any camping supplies, not even a water jug. I'll understand if you don't want to tell me something, but please don't lie to me. I've had enough of people lying to me."

Masami didn't look up, but she could feel the ronin looking at her, then she sighed. "Alright, I promise I won't lie to you. Just don't expect to get an answer to every question, okay?"

Masami looked up at her, and a small smile crept along her face. "Okay."

Retsu sighed again. "What about you? What's a little Shugenja doing out here in the wilderness?"

"I, " Masami hesitated again before saying. "I just couldn't stand it anymore. Ever since I was born, everyone was always making my decisions for me. What to wear, what to eat, when to sleep, what plays I could see, what books I could read." Tears started to flow from Masami's eyes, as now that she started she couldn't stop. "Everyone in my family treats me like a doll instead of a person. Everyone except big sis, but she had to move to prepare for her wedding in a few months, and I just couldn't stay there anymore!"

Masami jumped when Retsu's hand started rubbing her back. "You're a Shugenja, don't you have any friends at the academy?"

Masami wiped her eyes on her sleeve. "A couple." She sniffed. "I was never very popular, because I'm short, and was allowed to skip three grades. Most of my classmates resented that."

Then Retsu did something Masami wasn't expecting. She started to laugh. It made Masami mad but only for a moment. There was something so genuine and pure in her laugh that Masami wasn't able to stay mad.

"Finally, something I can relate to. We might as well have been born on different planets, we're so different."

"You had a hard time with school?" Masami asked, trying to learn more about her bodyguard.

"I didn't go to school. But I had a teacher." Retsu's expression went blank again. "There was only one other student. She was better than me at everything." Masami noticed that Retsu's hand closed around her sword hilt absent-mindedly. "But when the time came, sensei left everything to me. I still don't why." Then suddenly she shook her head like she had told Masami something she shouldn't have.

"It should be done soon." Retsu said as she poked the dead carcass with her stick.

Masami smiled and sipped her tea, not realizing that she waited too long and it had gone cold. "Eww, it's cold." She dumped her cup and poured herself another one. Then her eyes looked at Retsu's dirt-covered face and hands. Masami reached into her bag and pulled out one of her bathing rags, then dampened it with some water before handing it over to her bodyguard. "Here."

Retsu looked at the rag, then to Masami. "What's that for?"

"For your face and hands. You're covered in dirt. You can't eat like that."

"Why?"

"It's unsanitary!"

Retsu stared blankly at her. "Whats "unsanitary" mean?"

Masami puffed up her cheeks. "Just clean up a little!"

Retsu didn't say anything, and her expression didn't change, but she took the rag and used it to clean her face and hands. When she gave it back to Masami the white rag had turned black. "When was the last time you had a bath?"

Retsu scratched the back of her head. "I don't know. I've been on the road for a few weeks."

"A few weeks? Where have you been going?"

Retsu smiled, but unlike when she laughed before this smile looked fake. Like a mask. "Just wherever I felt like."

Masami felt that Retsu really didn't want to tell her why she was out here on the road. Of course, her curiosity was burning, but Masami was resolved that if Retsu didn't want to tell her something then she wouldn't pry further.

The ronin woman sniffed the air. "It should be done. You'll need your strength on the road, so eat up." Masami nodded as Retsu pulled out a small knife from her kimono sleeve, likely her only other object. She carved out some meat and handed it to Masami who was very grateful that she made Retsu wipe off her hands.

They ate together, mostly in silence. Masami never had a big appetite so she ate what she could, but Retsu ate like she hadn't in weeks. She easily ate three times what Masami did. It only made Masami more curious about why the ronin was out here, but she kept her self made a promise not to ask her about it anymore.

Afterward, Masami went back to reading The Moon Slayer, this time reading by the light of the fire. The fire made by the talisman would only go out if either you poured water on it or if Masami wanted it to go out. She was used to reading into the night, staying up well past her bedtime. Until running away, that was the most rebellious thing that Masami had ever done.

"Whatcha readin?" For a moment Masami didn't know who asked her that as she had forgotten that Retsu sometimes let an accent slip out.

Masami looked at her, still sitting by the fire pit. Retsu was looking like she was trying to make conversation to fill the silence rather than out of genuine curiosity. But Masami beamed at the chance to talk about her favorite book.

She sat up and said. "The Moon Slayer, it's the best story ever written! Have you heard of it?" Masami asked, forgetting that her bodyguard was illiterate.

"Are you making fun of me?"

Masami put on an air of fake pretentiousness. "Well I'm not surprised a philistine such as yourself hadn't heard of the greatest story put to paper.

"Phila what?"

Masami chuckled. "How about I read it to you. A bodyguard of mine shouldn't be so uncultured."

"You are making fun of me." Retsu deadpanned.

"Just a little." Masami stood and sat by her bodyguard's side like she had when they were eating. She turned back to the first page and read aloud.

"Long ago before the founding of Hyuga itself, lived a farm boy named, Ichigo Shiba. He was a good, honest working young man who took care of his younger sisters as good as any parent. One day a powerful spirit, a Yuki-Onna came down from the heavens and bestowed upon him a katana blade.

"This blade is known as Tensa Zangetsu. The snow woman said in her godly voice. You will be the sword that pierces the heavens. Soon many demons shall rise from the earth and seek to conquer mankind, and you are the only human that will be able to stand up to them.

"But Ichigo was only concerned about his own family. "Find someone else to do it." And he went back to farming..."

"What?" Retsu spat. Masami was half convinced that she hadn't been paying attention. "An actual spirit comes down from the heavens and he says no?"

Masami laughed. "Ichigo is someone that always does things his way, and by his own terms." Retsu looked over Masami's shoulder at the words that she couldn't read. And Masami continued.

"It was later the spirit's prophecy came true, and Ichigo's family was attacked by a demon who had crawled it's way out hell." Retsu gasped. "Taking the sword, Tensa Zangetsu, Ichigo slew the monster with a single swing of the heavenly chain. He had saved his sisters, but the words of the Yuki-Onna weighed heavily on his mind.

"The spirit came to him again. "Are you prepared to do what is necessary to save your kind from the army's of hell?"

"Ichigo only snorted. "I'll fight these demons, but only because they dared to attack my sisters. And no one gets away with that. I don't care if it's a demon or a spirit, or even God himself. If this sword can really pierce the heavens then I'll use it to cut them all down!"

Masami continued to read to Retsu, and right as she finished chapter seven she had become too tired to continued. "Go to bed kid." Her bodyguard said. "You had a long day." Masami wasn't sure because of how sleepy she was, but Retsu's voice was sounding motherly. It was soothing. Masami lie on her bedroll and fell asleep almost immediately.

OoooO

Masami didn't know it, but Retsu had picked up The Moon Slayer and looked through its pages which to her might as well have been blank. The ronin put the book in Masami's bag and looked at her as she slept.

"Tch, stupid kid." That was she said, but she was smiling. "Who said you were allowed to save me?" Retsu lie down in the dirt next to Masami and closed her eyes.

The ronin tried to fall asleep. To keep the voices away. But they always came.

"Who do you think you are?"

"You're no hero!"

"Traveling with you is a death sentence!"

"You'll kill her! You always do!"

"You'll spoil her innocence!"

"You should have just died!"

She clenched her teeth, squeezed her eyes shut, and covered her ears, but the voices couldn't be stopped. That was what her plan was. To finally get the voices to stop. And just as she was about to do it she had heard the girl scream, and that was what started this.

Retsu opened her eyes and looked at the girl as she slept. "I won't let them win." She promised to keep the girl safe for as long as she needed her to. Whatever it takes. Like the hero in that story, she would cut down any man, demon, spirit, or God that dared to harm Masami. Only when Masami no longer needed her would she follow through on her plan to make the voices stop.

Retsu managed to get some sleep in between the voices yelling at her, and nightmares haunting her.