I don't own Basara. Only three days to go now!
Chapter 19: ...Comes With New Friends
"Alright, you got your end?"
"Yep, count of three. Three!" The cupboard groaned as we attempted to shift it, Hanzo visibly struggling with his end, "Uncle, uncle!"
Gasping, we both set it down, collapsing ourselves a second later. When Nobu had said that the house down the lane was mine and Ranmaru's, I hadn't noticed how he'd skilfully avoided the matter of furniture.
The old owners had been an elderly couple, who'd died a while back, and their children hadn't been interested in the place. This would've worked to our advantage if they said this before the village authorities had put all the furniture into storage to be collected later, instead of waiting until the last possible moment, leaving me and Hanzo making several trips between the shed and house, since Mizu had already kidnapped Ranmaru to teach him how to hunt to her standard.
Getting onto his knees, Hanzo took several deep breaths, glaring at the cupboard. "If I didn't know this thing was empty, I'd suggest emptying it."
"Maybe we should try taking something lighter through first?" I suggested, not looking forward to the moment we took another crack at the thing. Like absolute idiots, we'd turned down Nobu's help, mainly because Chiyome's face implied dire things for him if he didn't sleep off his hangover, but also because we honestly though we could do it.
However, it seemed Hanzo was determined to get the cupboard shifted now. "If we take the drawers out, it should be easier." He decided, already beginning to pull them free. Raising an eyebrow, I waited for him to finish, before taking my end up again, "And three!"
Swearing rapidly under our breath, we began to take little steps, Hanzo trying to guide me through the door without overturning the bloody thing, because for some inane reason, I'd offered to be the one walking backwards. Just as the back of my legs hit another floor, I began to drop my end, Hanzo doing the same so we could take our shoes off before going into the house properly. "Etiquette be damned, I won't tell if you won't." He gasped, rubbing his hands together.
"We'll see how we go. This was the heaviest thing in the shed, right?"
"Supposedly. Where shall we put it?"
"Main room?"
"Main room." Although not a castle, the house did have three main rooms, two in the centre, directly next to each other, and the third positioned behind the porch. And with the modest garden outside, it was a lot better than what else we might've found on the road, even if it did mean a lot more people knew we were here.
Speaking of a lot more people, "Hey Hanzo, scream if she's killed you!" Throwing me an apologetic look, Hanzo finally stepped up, beginning to manoeuvre the cupboard to a suitable spot. "Guys, he's not answering."
"Well if she killed him, how could he?"
"Please let me kill them." I begged, "It'd only take a second."
Shaking his head, Hanzo gave a signal to drop the cupboard, budging it the last few centimetres before smirking, "I have a better idea. Oy Saburo, Asuka, bring Chihiro in here with you! We've got more furniture to budge!"
There was a general groaning sound, but soon three heads appeared in the doorway, two female and one male. Saburo flicked up his central bang, fixing his gaze on me, only to be slapped in the back of his head by the brunette. Only one of her dark eyes was visible, but it was smirking all the same, "You called, chief?"
Indicating the shed, Hanzo gave them orders, miming them at the same time. When he received three nods, he grinned, turning to face me. "What was with all this?" I asked, mimicking some of his movements.
"Chihiro, the black haired girl? She's deaf, had been since she was born." Blinking, I was struck by how frozen I was. After all, a lot of people were deaf, surely there had to be better reactions than that. "Still, Asuka talks enough for the pair of them. Nosy busybody."
"Heard that, chief." We both looked at the porch, meeting Asuka's grin as she carried in one of the crates that had been piled up, closely followed by Saburo and Chihiro carrying the drawers for the cupboard. "My mouth once saved your life if I remember correctly."
"It doesn't count as saving if you were the ones pulling the prank in the first place."
Deciding not to ask for more details, I began to follow Chihiro back out to the shed, only for Saburo to catch up with us, "My grandma says you know how to read?"
"Yeah, what about it?"
A wide smile began to grow on his face, his fist flying into the air, "Awesome, that means I get out of scribe duty sometimes! Word to the wise, take a pillow, those meetings can get boring." Nodding, I began to take the next crate, but was interrupted again, "If you ever need any books, I have a few at home. They might help with the midgets too."
"Thank you for the offer, but I'd like to get through my own first." It wasn't a total lie, after reading the books in Lord Takeda's house, I couldn't help but forget half of what mine contained. Even so, teaching little kids how to read would be slightly harder if they were reading up on philosophy rather than happy little bunnies in the forest. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to peruse Saburo's collection at some point.
With everybody's help, we soon had the house outfitted, and Chiyome came by around dinner time, carrying a tray filled with different rice variations that had Saburo smacking his lips and Hanzo grinning wide. "Well, I see you've earned it," She said, looking around the place with an impressed air, "By the way Sayomi, Asuka's father managed to see to Dango's hoof earlier, so you should be able to take him out later if you want."
"Thank you." Smiling as she left, Chiyome didn't notice the faces of the three seated before me, watching the interaction.
It was finally Asuka who spoke, swallowing her mouthful as she did, "So, if you're a samurai, where's your sword?" Despite the glare being sent at them by Hanzo, the others stared slightly, all of them curious about the disappearance of my weapon.
After about two minutes passed, with no sign of them letting up, I finally sighed, going over to the corner where we'd thrown the packs before starting in on the furniture moving. Loosening the ties on one of them, my fingers soon closed around the sheath, and when I pulled it free, it was to the definite astonishment of the others.
Chihiro looked the most intrigued, and she made a few signals to Hanzo, who let her finish, and then finally translated, "She's never seen anything like it."
A few more signals were made, her face growing even more excited, "Can she see the blade?"
"Sure." Her face grew even brighter when I pulled the sword free from its sheath, displaying the shiny surface and its sharp edge.
Even Asuka seemed mildly impressed, her mouth ringed in a low whistle, "Don't see many swords like that, even in our line of work."
Now if that wasn't an invitation for a few curious questions, I didn't know what was. "What is your line of work?" Saburo went to open his mouth, but caught a small glare from Hanzo, and quickly shut it again. Well, now I was definitely interested. "Let me guess? Secret?"
"You could say that." Hanzo shrugged, stretching his arms out wide, "It's too complicated to explain without alcohol present."
I couldn't resist a smirk, no matter how much the words themselves pained me, "All important decisions are made over sake, right?"
A small joke, whispered during a war meeting when the alcohol had just been sent for, said in jest, but the words immortal enough to last the years. Luckily, none of them noticed the slight sadness in my tone, all of them laughing instead, "Pretty much, yeah!" Saburo guffawed, getting to his feet, "Come on ladies, I'd better get you home before your fathers get the wrong ideas."
"As if I'd let you do that." Asuka scoffed, but she got up all the same, tugging Chihiro behind her, "See you guys tomorrow!"
Rolling his eyes at their backs, Hanzo got to his feet as well, squeezing my shoulder, "I'd better get home and light the hearth so Mizu doesn't come home freezing. See you tomorrow, Sayomi."
"Good night, Hanzo." Wearing a smile as he left, Hanzo's exit left the house suddenly feeling empty. It only served to prove Yukimura's speech about people making the castle true, and among other things, reminded me that Ranmaru would be coming home soon, and if Mizu had been as harsh on him as I suspected she had been, he'd want to come home to a warm meal. With this fresh determination in mind, I rolled up my sleeves, and began searching for the flint stones and the extra rice Chiyome had dropped by.
Would miracles never cease to happen? Not only did Ranmaru come in with a wide grin on his face, but if the happy call he gave Mizu as she passed the house was any indication, he'd had a great day out in the forest.
Even though I'd paused him in the porch until the pan of water I'd put over the hearth had heated enough so he could wash before trailing dirt inside, he didn't stop chattering excitedly about what Mizu had taught him, and how impressed she had been with some of his techniques. "She said that tomorrow she's gonna teach me how to skin the animals!"
Oh joy. "Just don't bring the smell home with you, okay?" Nodding sharply, Ranmaru pulled his shirt off, and began scrubbing his arms, "Stay there and I'll get you a towel."
"Fine. Yomi?"
"Yeah?"
"We are…we are staying here, right?" From where I'd been opening the cupboard drawers, looking for the towels that I knew were in there, I froze, poking my head round the corner into the porch. Ranmaru's head had drooped slightly, and if I had to guess, he was wearing a pout under that mop of hair.
Sighing as I finally found a towel and pulled it out; I wrapped it around his shoulders and pulled him to sit next to me. Not wanting to feel like he was being treated like a child, he squirmed slightly, but relaxed into the hug after a second, "Do you like it here?"
"Course I do!"
"Do you feel safe here?"
"Yeah."
Unable to conceal my smile, I rubbed the top of his head, "Then we're staying. Unless of course you want to leave?" The groan he gave was enough of an answer, and I let him slip off the boards again, giving his hair another rub. "I'll get your dinner ready."
The matter was dropped, or at least I'd thought it was, especially seeing as he went to bed that night without any particular argument. Having found a few candles stowed away in one of the crates, I'd lit one, reading until it gave a final splutter, and gave out.
It must've been about midnight when I finally put my head on my pillow, but my door still opened about half an hour later, a small form lying on the floor next to me. "We're really staying?"
Closing my eyes and giving a happy smile, I leaned over, squeezing his shoulder, "That cupboard was too much of a bother for us not to stay." Nodding sleepily, Ranmaru finally relaxed, his breathing turning to a slow pace. Unable to resist, I pushed his bangs out of his eyes, snorting slightly at his soft murmuring. "We're safe now, I promise, Ran. I'm not leaving, not while I can help it."
