Chapter 23

Kyoko packed up the camps supplies into a woven sack, she threw in the boiling pot, blankets, chopsticks and what was left of the rice. It became more and more obvious to me that she was not going to wait for her brother.

"Open up," She commanded, stuffing the rag in my mouth once more. She heaved me to my feet by the rope ties on my wrists and pulled me out of the cave entrance, the supply sack hanging from her shoulder. She led me through thick bushes and shrubs, my sense of direction was not the best but I could tell she was taking me further from the village. The sun began to peek over the mountain tops as she pulled me through the wild foliage. Eventually coming to what looked like a dirt road we circled behind a group of trees where a horse and cart where waiting.

"In," the woman spoke, shoving me towards the cart. I thought this could be my last chance to escape, if I climbed into that cart it could be one of the last things I ever did, I would be in Tokyo before nightfall and in the clutches of the imperial army, I'd be hung if I was lucky.

Kyoko approached the rear of the cart, with her back to me she tossed the supply sack into it carelessly, I could either fight, or try and run.

I too walked up to the cart, acting as if I intended to climb aboard. Kyoko turned to me, her mouth parted ready to bark an order or hurl an insult, but before the words could leave her mouth, I elbowed her hard in the face, my wrists still bound together. The blow instantly bust her nose, splattering blood across her face. She yelled as she gripped her nose, I tried to elbow her again, but she dodged my slow movements and pushed me to the floor, I landed hard on my side, I tried my best to ease my fall and avoid landing on my front.

"You little bitch!" She screamed as blood poured from her nose, enraged she looked down at me, a menacing look in her eye. I tried to crawl away, the twigs and rocks below me cut at my arms as I scrambled desperately away, I tried to get to my feet, but with my hands still tied and my stomach so round it was an almost impossible task. A hand gripped onto my leg and pulled me back, I reached for the gag in my mouth and pulled it away.

"Help! Help somebody!" I yelled out as Kyoko attempted to drag me along the forest floor, my knees gave out and I collapsed onto my stomach, sending pains shooting inside of me. I cried out. Kyoko crawled up me, and flipped me over to face her, she knelt one knee into my chest as she sat above me, blood dripping from her face down onto my own.

"You're dead bitch, forget the reward and the hanging, I'm going to kill you right here," Kyoko hissed, I spat up at her face and attempted to unseat her from me, but she wrapped her hands around my neck, her knee slipped down my chest to my stomach where she pressed hard.

"I'm going to cut your baby out and feed it to the wolves," She almost laughed. I tried to hit her with my bound hands, but I just did not have the mobility or the strength. Her grip around my neck tightened more and more, I gasped and choked for air violently, I kicked my legs, tried to twist my body but I could not shift her from me, I grew wearier and more light headed with every movement.

Out of nowhere an arrow collided with her shoulder, piercing it and exiting through her back. The hands on my neck released their grip as she screamed in pain, clutching her shoulder. Blood seeped into the beige fabric of her shirt, turning the woven fabric crimson.

I gasped for air and looked about the woodland, there in the trees I spotted Nobutada, arrow at the ready, his bow string pulled tight. Kyoko was no fool, she rolled off my body onto her knees and pulled me to her by my hair, my back against her chest she used me as a human shield. With a loud scream she snapped the arrow off at her skin, discarding it on the floor. She gathered herself, putting the pain of her nose and shoulder to the back of her mind.

"You'll kill her! Lower your bow!" Kyoko yelled aggressively, she pulled us both to our feet, I lost balance slightly but she pulled me up straight, steadying me, she wrapped her arms under my own and held me to her. My body was weak from the oxygen starvation, my knees began to buckle but she hauled me back up once again. Nobutada approached slowly, his bow aimed.

"Go on shoot your arrow," Kyoko goaded the young man, "I dare you," Nobutada aimed his arrow at her head which sat just above my right shoulder, he looked as if he was going to take the chance and shoot.

"Nobutada no!" A rough voice barked from the woodland, I recognised it instantly. Running through the bushes and wild growth came four figures, Ujio, Katsumoto, Algren and Nakao. A small sigh of relief escaped my lips as my eyes laid on the stony-faced samurai.

Nobutada bit his lip as he aimed, and then eventually lowered his bow in defeat. Kyoko's breath quickened in my ear, she had no weapon, her brother was nowhere to be seen, and the samurai had arrived, I hoped she would admit defeat honourably and face her punishment.

"Let her go Kyoko," Katsumoto ordered as the group joined Nobutada. Kyoko's heartbeat quickened, limited by choices she dropped to the ground quickly, pulling on my hair, she picked up a decent sized rock and jumped back up again, retaking her position. She held me with one arm threateningly, the other she had suspended above her head, rock in hand.

"Leave or I will bludgeon her!" Kyoko ordered; her voice panicked. Ujio stepped forward, hand on hilt. But Katsumoto held out his arm, keeping his friend back.

"You're not going to hurt her Kyoko," Katsumoto spoke. "You have a chance now, to drop the rock and leave this place for good,"

"No! She must die for what she has done!" Ujio protested. Katsumoto held up his hand to silence his right-hand man.

"Your brother is dead Kyoko, you have no reason to stay, you can go now take the horse and cart, leave and never return," Katsumoto offered the girl. Kyoko breathed heavily into my ear as she thought about her options. Leave with her head still on her body, or hit me over the head with the large rock.

"What happened to my brother?" She asked suddenly, her voice quaked with raw emotion.

"I cut off his head," Ujio growled, stepping forward. "If you want to hurt somebody, hurt me Kyoko," He offered, "The girl has done nothing, I am the one who broke your heart, I killed your brother,"

"You lie!" Kyoko cried, her arm tensed above her head, ready to fall down and land a mighty blow on my skull.

"I do not," Ujio barked, stepping forward even closer, "He told us of the reward in Tokyo for Arabella," Kyoko released her grip on my curls and moved her hand to my already bruised neck, she wrapped her fingers around it tightly, steadying it, positioning it.

"You will never let me leave, it is a trick, you will kill me…" She sneered, tears dropping down her face, "But not before I kill her,"

They say your life flashes before your eyes in the moment prior to death, I don't know how true this is as I didn't even have time to process what was going on.

Kyoko dropped her arm, her grip tightened on the rock as it fell towards me. But somehow it never hit me, she dropped it suddenly, the rock fell to the floor with a thump, a thump that was followed by a heavier thud. I glanced over my shoulder to where Kyoko once stood but she was no longer there, I glanced down at the ground and to my horror there she was, a knife embedded between her eyes. I wanted to scream but nothing came out. Instead I collapsed to my knees and tried my very best to breathe. Ujio rushed over to me, falling to his knees and embracing me tightly.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" He asked, pushing my blonde curls from my face. He took my face in his hands and examined me closely. His thumb ran over the smudged droplets of blood on my cheek and chin. "You're bleeding,"

"It's… not my blood," I whispered, slumping against Ujio's chest. He released my face and wrapped his arms around me, supporting my weak frame.

"The baby?" He asked, his eyes glancing down at my rounded stomach.

"I… uh… I- I don't know," I whispered, tears slipping from eyes. My stomach still hurt from the pressure of Kyoko's knee, I felt sick as well as pained. I reached a shaking hand to my stomach and rested it on the bump lightly. Ujio planted a kiss on the top of my head, he held me against him tightly as he looked around for his companions. Pressure built in his throat, and his eyes almost welled up, but he could not cry he had to be strong, for me. None of the men said anything as they stared at the two of us, Katsumoto simply nodded to his friend, and Ujio nodded back, a single tear dropped from the corner of his eye down his chiseled cheek, only his longest friend noticed with sad eyes.

Writer - Sorry it's a short one, it just felt like the right place to end this chapter, please let me know what you think, as always your reviews are much appreciated, thank you for reading