"Gine? Sweetie, I'm home!" as I approach her, I see how she puts her work aside and runs towards me. She grins wide over the face as I open my arms and close them at her waist to pick her up. While I squeeze her in my arms she holds my face in her hands, giggles while she putts her forehead on mine and looks deep into my eyes. Her eyes sparkle like the stars in the sky in the deepest colour of the night. Whenever I look into her eyes I calm down and forget all about the cruelties the last battle showed me. She sighs and her beautiful alluring scent drives me to her lips as I breath a kiss in the corner of her lips. I hold her hands tight above my chest after I put her down. I caress her soft and warm hands. She works so hard all day when I am gone for battles. I know that through her hands. Whenever they're tensed or show little injuries, I know she over did it again. That's why it's my duty let her relax. I pull her right hand to my lips and kiss her palm.

"I missed you, Gine.", I whisper and pull her back inside.

As I take off my zōri she puts some water in the iron pot to cook it over the irori, the sunken heath in the middle of our living room.

"How have you been while I was gone? Did you train the sessions I showed you before I left for the battle?" I turn my head around to see her better and see that she's running around in the house to find the perfect herbs for the tea.

Her grey kimono fitted her more loose than I remembered. Didn't she eat enough? But why? I made sure that she would stay prepared for the hard winter with food, water and clothes. Did she share her food again with everyone?

As I enter the house on my knees I close the Shoji doors in order to keep the cold outside. Thanks to the heat of the irori, I could finally escape from the snow outside. As she serves me tea to warm up faster, I hold her wrist tight and pull her on my lap. I don't want to be separated from her anymore.

"Now tell me everything and explain why you didn't eat much.", while I caress her hands on my chest, she cuddles her face into my neck as she starts to tell me what happened in the past three months:

"Many wives hadn't much left since their husband's died or never came back. We needed to share our good with everyone because no body has to die if we have the goods to change it, doesn't we? This winter was really hard that's why we barely could go hunting. I remember how Satoshi-san's wife lost her mind as she got the news her husband died in the battle. She was so broken she couldn't even share love with her children. I took the children with me until she found her balance again and now she visits me nearly every day. You know I am really glad that everyone isn't acting cold anymore with me. It was so painful for me when you leaved and no body even thought about talking to me... But you know I always try to be kind and helpful with everyone."

"Gine, give the women their time, you're new to them and they know each other over many years. You came by just five month ago when we got married. I know you want them to like you but give them their time to see how amazing you're. Both of us needed our time as well, didn't we?" As I wink with an eye, she giggles with her melody sound and cuddles me tighter. I couldn't handle but think about the time we've met.

The sun burned down on my head. I took off my helmet because my hair was wet from my sweat. Blood stuck on my face, my hair and my armour. The smell of its iron sneaked into my nose and triggered me to vomit.

"Bardock, are you feeling alright?", as I whipped my mouth my comrade approached me sounding worried.

"It's none of your business. Just Let me alone."

The battle was finally over, and we won without counting any huge losses. It was still disgusting, for me to see so many carved up bodies. The sun speeded up the decay of the dead. The air smelled awful and my stomach couldn't handle so many loathsome odours. I took out my sword to prop up myself when I walked away from the battlefield.

I needed a damn river.

My friend Tooma and brother-in-law sneaked by to support me and to prevent any battles with annoying comrades. I was in the mood to destroy anyone who would even look crooked at me.

"In the near of our village has to be huge river where you can wash yourself.", he said.

As he pulled me onto the horse, I decided to go alone. "But Bardock you seem to be not fine. Let me at least guard you! What if some enemies survived and fight you as a revenge?"

"I am not easily killed.", I said and spurted away.

The flow of the river was strong and wild, but it wouldn't hold me back to finally clean myself from the odour of death.

As I put my armour and my clothes off, I marched into the cold water without hesitate. I rubbed my face first than my head and the rest of my body.

As I cleaned my bare arms I hear women giggled in the near. When I looked up and searched for the origin, I saw three women kneeling at the bank of the other side of the river. I didn't perceive them because the grasses were too high. At least my rokushaku covered up the most important part on my body. Two of them were sneaking a look at me but held their hands before the mouth while giggling, while the third one didn't even look at me. She was so focussed to wash the clothes. But her face looked so cute and I couldn't stop starring at her. Her mid-length hair looked wild and wavy while the warm wind blew strands in her face.

Eventually she looked up. Her eyes caught me off-guard. How can eyes be so pure and innocent? She smiled at me and I tried to smile back. With her smile on her lips she looked even cuter! Damn, who was she? As I tried to play it cool, I bowed to them and went back to my armour. But the rokushaku didn't cover my butt and the girls were whistling behind me; I turned around, winked and slapped on my muscular butt.

Later that day, I went back to the village of our clan. Many samurai, young and elder warriors waited at the entrance. Together we enter the huge village where everyone awaited us. The crowd stood there and were cheering for our comeback. Mothers, sisters and wives run towards their men. It was so full and chaotic that I lost track of time and space as a hand grabbed me and pulled me out of the crowd.

Her wavy hair waved in the wind while she run towards me. My armour rustled with every step. I took off my helmet while we were running to the end of a road. She pulled me around the corner behind a massive mud wall. She stood at the wall grinning at me.

"I am Gine and I saw you earlier in that river! Since no body came to pick you up or run into your arms I assumed you were alone, and I wanted to accompany you."

Since my little brother became a martyr and my sister got married with 16 I only had my mother and my father left. My father was barely home.

"I hope your family won't be angry with you by running away with a stranger. People can talk so badly things behind the back. If they find out…"

"No need to worry; I already welcomed my father and my brothers and since they're at home busy with my sisters, I saw the chance to sneak off, because I wanted to talk to you."

I would've never guessed to see her face again. Why didn't I ever see her in our village?

"About what?"

"I've found your menpo at the bank of the river and wanted to give it to you. But since my brothers and my father were nearby I couldn't give it to you."

"I thought I lost it in the battlefield."

"It was full of blood, so I cleaned it for you. Those ornaments and dark colours look really special. Did you make them?"

Holding it with both hands she handed it me over with a bright smile on her face.

"It was made by my grand-grandfather who fought next to Tokugawa Ieyasu in the great war of Nagashino. My grand-grandmother coloured it for him and engraved his name on the backside."

Amazed by the backstory of my mask her eyes widened. I turned the mask around to show her the beautiful written name in golden kanji.

"That means I found a legendary relic?", she said as her eyes started to sparkle in admiration. The way her eyes sparkled gave me the feeling of loosing track of time.

"You can keep it, if you want. It's nothing special for me anyway."

"No, don't say that! it's a legacy! This menpo could tell us so many stories about the legendary battle and all the battle about the sons who came after to wear it. I can see even a huge scratch, that tells me, this mask saved once a life. Or at least the face. You should carry this with honour…. Oh no! Where are my manners! I didn't ask for your name!"

That girl cracks me up. How can be someone so cute and clumsy?

"You have a different mindset than most of the girls I know but I doubt the mask will tell you anything. Let me tell you old stories instead. Meet me at sunset at the river."

As I turn around to leave she grabs my wrist. I turn my face to her and smile. "It's Bardock." And leave without a word.

As I walk down the narrowed streets, flanked by thick mud walls, I saw how people opened their massive wooden gates to welcome their family members cheerfully. The street was overloaded with people, it was loud, and women were crying here and there because a warrior was finally home. In the end of the road, I could see the huge tree of the residence of my father. Two guards were standing in front of the gate and welcomed me home. I thought that's all I will get that day. But my family proofed me wrong.

I walked pass the variety of plants and trees in our garden. Sometimes I felt like walking through a forest. I could only hear the rustles of my armour, so calm and peaceful was it here. Nervously, I caress through my hair, while my helmet rested under my left arm.

"Tadaima Haha-ue! Where are you?"

"Bardock come in, your father is home."

I opened the shoji door to the huge and bright living room and immediately catched my father sitting in front of mother at the table while she served him some tea in his stony black mug. I sat down on the engawa to take off my zōri and calculated to 50 to calm myself down. My father didn't like it when I showed too many emotions. He said emotions were for weak people, not for samurai.

"Irasshaimase chichi-ue. How have you been doing?" I said and bowed on the floor for him.

"Welcome home too musuko. I am glad to see my son came home alive and as I expected, did also a great job in the battle. I talked to the daimyo and reported all your achievements to him, and he said you'll be upgraded to the status of a commander. In three days, you have to go to his castle to receive your promotion."

My head still lied on the floor bowing for him. I couldn't believe what my ears heard right now but it has to be true. I've seen so many men with greater wisdom and experience who would've been more worthy of being a commander of a whole division. Am I even mature enough to make up for this huge demand?

I will and I have to.

"Arigato gozeimas chichi-ue. I will honour our family and your wishes."

"You can get up, my son." As I slowly sat up I saw how proud my father was. This is what every young samurai lifed for. Respect from their fathers.

He patted me on the shoulder as sign to sat next to him. Meanwhile my mother made sure I would drink a cup of tea as well. I hoped that would be everything they wanted me to do. But I was so naive.

"Your father and I came to the decision that you are old enough to get engaged with a graceful and honourable girl. We have a couple of girls in mind and will let you decide which one is the best for you."

I was so shocked. I was only 17 years old and they wanted to get me a bride! Will I ever see Gine again?

"As you wish honoured mother. When will I have to get the chance to meet them? And what if I don't like them, would I be able to choose a girl I like?"

"We will visit the girl's homes when you got your title. I promise you will like the ones I have in mind for you. But if you still don't like any of them you can choose one you like but only when I approve her."

"As you wish. May I be able to get some rest? The battle was exhausting."

I really needed to talk about this with my friend. And I had to be fast as possible. Because either I had to marry a girl I would never even look at or I have to bring dishonour to my family's heritage. This way or another it's going to be a nightmare.

"Bardock are you awake?", I hear in the distance, as soft and warm lips touch mine. I open my eyes just to look in her worried eyes. How the fuck did I fall asleep on the ground?

"I am sorry if I worried you sweetheart. How long have I been asleep? What's the smell in here?"

"I let you sleep until the light of the candles burned a quarter. I cooked your favourite meal, but as I tried to wake you up, but couldn't I've have got worried about you. Did you have your nightmares again?"

"No, it wasn't that. I just remembered the circumstances we got married in." I smile for her to ease her nerves and of course she started to giggle by the memory.

She served me a huge portion of mushroom ramen but without meat. The rations for the meat I've hunted for her 3 month ago must be empty by now. She probably shared even this with the others. Does she even think about her own health? I notice how her hand trembles as she serves herself a portion of ramen. She notices my sharp eyes on her and smiles innocent. I grab her wrists, put her hands on my beard and force her to look into my eyes.

"Did you share your meat with the neighbours? You know you should be more careful about yourself. I don't want you to die of hunger, while I am gone for the next battle. What would I life and die for when you're gone? So please tell me, what happened while I was gone? You went obliviously through a lot, you tremble, you're nervous and you didn't eat much. Is there anything you want to tell me?"

Shocked, she stares into my eyes. I could tell through her eyes that she searched for the words. Anger started to heat up in my stomach. Did a konoyarou touch my wife?

"Bardock..."

Silence.

Heavy tears drop from her eyes. Her lips start to tremble. Angst spread through my body.

But than, she started to giggle.

Now I am confused. What's happening here?

"Bardock you're going to be a father."

My heart beat pumps faster, my head runs wild and suddenly I forget how to breath. "I... I am... going to be... a father?"

She nods eagerly while more tears drop from her eyes. "Yes. Yes! We're going to be mum and dad."

" We...are going to be... mum and dad... HOLY KAMI WE ARE GOING TO BE MUM AND DAD!"

Finally my brain understood the connections. I jump to my feet and pull my precious wife in my arms. Our tea pots and the table crash to the ground through the movement. Screaming and crying we both hug each other tightly.

"I AM GOING TO BE A FATHER!" I shout out and laugh while I kiss Gine on her cheeks.

"AND I AM GOING TO BE A MOTHER!", she screams out loud, crying and laughing and kissing my lips.