I don't own Basara. Because I was a bit busy yesterday and tomorrow's CHRISTMAS *Shakes Fortune excitedly* there'll be a triple update today!


Chapter Twenty: Soba and Scares


By the time morning came, and I finally woke up, there was no trace of Ranmaru in my room, and when I got into the main room, the hearth had already been lit, and he was anxiously turning a fish on a spit, face screwed up in extreme concentration. "Don't burn, don't burn…" Closing my eyes and shaking my head, I retreated back into my room, deciding this was too surreal an image to deal with when in my nightdress and my hair was all over my face.

After five minutes getting it into a relatively tidy state, I stepped back in, this time getting the far funnier image of Ranmaru sucking his fingers and glaring at a fish on a plate. "Having trouble little saru?"

Jumping slightly at my voice, he turned around guiltily, giving an embarrassed look. "Morning, Yomi."

"Morning. Want some help?" I inquired, nodding at the fish.

Flushing again, Ranmaru shook his head, and cleared his throat. "I didn't want to wake you up. Mizu said she'd pick me up in a little while, and then Hanzo's going to take you into town for food." His hands closed around his bow, and I noticed a sudden smile enter his face. "Skinning animals and checking the fishing nets, and then she said she's going to teach me how to set snares."

"Like I said, just don't bring the smell home with you, okay?" Just as he promised, the front door rattled with a knock, and he got to his feet, slinging the bow over himself. "Have fun."

"I will." With a final wave, Ranmaru closed the door behind him, shouting to someone I couldn't see. I couldn't resist grinning, even as I picked the burnt flesh away from my breakfast. By the time I was finished, there was actually very little meat left. When we finally got around to assigning chores, cooking would be my job, otherwise we'd be dead by the end of the month.

Finishing within minutes, I carefully threw the waste into the hearth, cringing at the sparks and the smell it set up, "Oh geez, tell me you don't have a body in here!"

Hand over my nose, I turned, Hanzo wearing a similar expression; "Because if you do, I'm not coming in!"

"I just threw some fish in there!" Laughing behind his hand, Hanzo clambered in, grabbing the coal shovel and carefully scooping out the culprit. Pulling a pitcher close, he quickly tipped it in, not ridding the room of the smell, but reducing it.

"You're going to want to air this place; otherwise it won't be tanned hides that ruin your day." Finally dropping his hand, he stretched wide, putting the shovel back. "Ready to go?"


Dango was waiting for us in the square, having an interesting conversation with one of the village's carthorses, who gave a few sharp whinnies back.

Seeming to accept this, my horse looked up at my approach, the harness connecting him to the cart doing nothing to prevent his greeting, nose butting at my forehead.

Laughing despite the eyes on us, I wrapped my arms around his neck as much as possible, receiving a small parcel of horse breath as my reward. Tapping my shoulder, Hanzo indicated the cart, giving an exaggerated bow, "Your carriage awaits, ma'am."

"Are you ever going to stop calling me that?" Waiting for me to climb up, he shrugged, pulling himself onto the box in the same movement, nudging the cart forwards.

"I'm just teasing, Sayomi. Besides, I couldn't help it slipping out when I first saw you. You looked like the kind of girl who appreciated it." My mouth opened in slight understanding, I settled back on the bench, clutching onto its underside tightly as we began leaving the village behind, mounting another hill.

Changing the subject, I glanced across at Hanzo, fingers finally relaxing as we reached the summit, "I wouldn't have thought we'd need a cart today."

"Huh? Oh yeah, we're on ration duty."

"Ration duty?"

Laughing at my apparent naiveté, Hanzo pulled out a slip of parchment, holding it out for me to take, "What we can't grow in these parts, we buy from the nearest town, which pretty much boils down to things like silk and Chiyome's weird herbs." Nodding as he spoke, I grinned to see that I was holding a glorified shopping list. "What we do grow goes in the store shed, to the tax man, or gets sold for profit. That and the money we make on other business get divided out between everyone, to spend on bits and bobs you know?"

A sound system, especially if it worked as well as Hanzo seemed to be implying it did. "So, you all have a common food supply?"

"Pretty much, like a lot of villages actually. Although I know for a fact that nobody's allowed near Nobu's homebrew," Hanzo shivered at something,

"Saburo had a fun time explaining that hangover to Chiyome."

"Potent?"

"Murderous." A grin suddenly spread across his face, "Still, it was nothing compared to what Nobu did when he realised a flask was missing." There was embarrassment lacing his tone, and I quirked an eyebrow, inviting him to continue.

Catching it, Hanzo laughed slightly, tugging on the reins to slow down enough so some pedestrians could pass us. Once they were out of earshot, and the horses were moving again, he gave the back of his head a rub, struggling to find the words, "Long story short, I had a new respect for the fermenters."

The rest of the trip into town may have well been spent in silence for all the conversation I remembered, small talk that meant absolutely nothing to anyone else, but for the simple fact that my words didn't have to be filtered ten times before they left my mouth, or that the subject matter was light and airy, I found myself having the kind of fun that you couldn't place, but cherished all the same. Even Lord Takeda's house hadn't seemed so easy, not when the people around me were technically jailers, no matter how lax.

When we finally arrived in town, Hanzo was clambering off, yelling to someone inside a large building about something or another, leaving me to sit and look around myself. It wasn't on Gifu's scale, and there was no sign of anything remotely castle like, but samurai guards still patrolled, and people crowded the streets, making it difficult for me to get down when I finally moved, Dango looking over his shoulder with a whinny, "I'll be back in a minute boy, just guard the wagon, 'kay?"

When Dango was purchased for me, the stable master had assured me how obedient he would be, but to this day, I had no idea if he was truly hinting that Dango understood every word I spoke, especially when he tossed his head in a manner similar to nodding like he did before I finally turned around.

Inside, Hanzo appeared to be bartering with the man behind the counter, neither of them looking up at my entrance. If anything, they leant closer to each other, until the man gave a nod, reaching for a shelf his side and taking down several rolls. "Keep them safe this time, yeah?"

"No promises." Straightening back up, Hanzo stretched, finally noticing me, "Hey Sayomi, everything okay?"

"It's crowded outside. I thought we'd better stick together." Nodding to my explanation, Hanzo pushed a couple of coins across the counter, asking the man to keep an eye on the cart until we got back.

After he agreed, and Hanzo had secured the rolls under the box and grabbed two large baskets, we finally got around to exploring the town. Holding the list out in front of him, Hanzo would occasionally bob into a shop without warning, leaving me to double back and wait while he negotiated a price before we came out with a larger load for our baskets.

Sometimes though he would argue for a while, and then order the goods delivered straight to the village or wagon, despite the odd look this gained.

Raising an eyebrow slightly, I took note how this seemed to be happening purely in shops like the blacksmiths and herb emporiums, even though we still came out of the latter with large roots and leaf clumps. Perhaps stranger was that sometimes I'd turn around, having completely lost him, only for him to pop up a second later, his basket seemingly closer to the brim than before.

Shrugging it off, I let Hanzo lead me back to the wagon, and helped him pile everything into the back. Once everything was secure between the mystery packages, Hanzo jumped out and cracked his fingers, "Well then, we'd better be making a few feminine purchases, eh?" Tapping the back of his head in irritation, I allowed a grin to cover my face all the same, Hanzo taking my hand and gently tugging me through the streets.

This time we kept purely to the sides of the street, letting the market day crowds pass us, while we dreamt up our own list, "What are the winters like here?" I asked as we passed a stall selling cloaks.

"Bloody freezing, but nothing warm clothing doesn't fix." Catching my glance, Hanzo gave the back of his head another rub, "Sorry, I forgot. Well, Asuka's mother should be able to get you and Ran some winter kimonos on the cheap, or I could ask Mizu if she has any that'd fit you."

Hell itself would have to freeze over before I asked Mizu for anything. Still, I let Hanzo tug me through the rest of the suddenly loud crowd, until he finally arrived at his destination, smacking his lips before ducking into the restaurant, "Close to lunchtime, and I'm in town. Sounds like soba time!"

"Ah Hanzo-kun, did you get the shade of lip paint I told you about?" The head server called the second she saw us, her words bringing a heavy blush to his face. Biting my lip to spare him the indignity of my giggles, I may have split my lip when she came over to the table we'd just chosen, taking his shoulder in a friendly manner, "Because despite how expensive it might have been, that pink did not suit you."

"Thank you, Miyuki." Hanzo breathed, ducking his head down to hide his now crimson face, "Mizu was very pleased with her birthday present."

"Something you're not telling me?" I teased, unable to resist by now.

"Never ask for makeup advice from a woman that isn't Chiyome." Winking at me, Miyuki took Hanzo's muffled order for two servings of noodles and disappeared behind the counter. Waiting for him to resurface, I rested my head on one hand and glanced about the restaurant, sniffing eagerly at the air that promised a good lunch.

The sounds my nose was making eventually pulled Hanzo back up, and he once again began listing things we should probably get before winter settled in and made the road impossible to traverse on. By the time our noodles came round, we'd eventually settled for getting two winter kimonos each for me and Ranmaru, along with straw boots and a pair of cloaks.

We were just discussing whether or not to go with hats or gloves (Asuka's mother apparently knew how to make both,) when the commotion outside poured into the restaurant. Eyes widening, I hastily tugged at Hanzo's arm, unable to tear my eyes away when two soldiers came in, seating themselves at the table next to ours. Perhaps childish of me, but considering the bruised armour was that of the Oda, I had good reason to be shaking.

Catching my drift immediately, Hanzo waited for them to yell at Miyuki, and then reached across to the table on our other side. Deftly plucking the hat right off the asleep drunk's head, he placed it delicately on my head, and began hissing something to the counter behind him. "I'm telling you, Oda will be back."

"Not going to happen. The entire castle blew up with him in it."

"Yeah well, the clan will rise again, I've heard whispers." Freezing at the soldier's words, I didn't follow Hanzo's hushed whispers to the other serving girl, who nodded slightly, retreating back to her boss for now.

"Under who, idiot? The whole family's dead, from Oda to Mori."

"Nuh uh, Wakahisa went straight to Honno-Ji when that bastard Katakura said the kids were dead. He didn't find any bodies." The serving girl came back, nodding to Hanzo slightly.

Taking our bowls in hand, he jerked his head towards the counter, indicating for me to follow him, only to stub his toe on the drunk's table as he turned. The action jerked the table, causing the occupant to snap awake, staying bleary just long enough for me to put the hat in front of him.

Unfortunately, the restaurant wasn't busy by a longshot, and the sudden noise immediately got the soldiers' attention, the sensible one getting to his feet.

Pushing me behind him, Hanzo attempted to stare him down. "You too good to eat by us, peasant? That the problem?"

"Your words were scaring my sister. We lost our parents to the Oda army." I flinched at the severity in Hanzo's voice, the action finally breaking the drunk out of his stupor. Grumbling a little, he reached under his table for something, just the soldier peeked over my shield's shoulder.

Keeping my head turned away, I silently prayed for a way out, anything. "Your sister, huh? She looks nothing like you." Before Hanzo could move to block what little of my face was on display, the soldier grabbed at me, forcibly turning my chin, "In fact, she kind of looks like Lady Sayomi, what do you thi- Shit!"

Holding my breath tightly, I cast a pleading look at Hanzo, who had frozen similarly, the blade separating us leaving no room for argument. Even though he had yet to release my chin, the soldier was shaking slightly, evidently not having noticed the drunk pull out his sword until the tip was pushing into his cheek, "Let the girl go will ya, I hate drinking in places with blood on the floor."

What little business the restaurant did have had hushed up pretty quick, the heavyset man behind the counter finally leaving his sanctuary. "You heard him, let her go and then hit the road. I ain't serving any Oda supporters."

The soldier gripping me growled slightly, but dropped my chin, just as some more armed samurai ran in, these ones wearing the neutral colours of the town guard. "Heard there was a disturbance in here. Everything okay there, gentlemen?"

"Just some dirt on the floor," the drunk shrugged, sheathing his sword again. "These men accused this young lady of being one of their generals. Clearly had a bit too much to drink, I'd say."

"That's rich coming from you," The guard smirked, grabbing the soldier anyway. While his men restrained the pair, the other having taken out his sword just in case, the guard nodded to the owner, and then to me and Hanzo, "We'll make sure they're dealt with. Give our wishes to Kodokuna when you get back."

"If it's all the same, I think we'd rather forget this ever happened." Hanzo murmured, getting a nod from the other.

My legs held until they had all left, and then they buckled, Hanzo quickly grabbing me before I hit the floor, having dropped the noodles back onto our table. My ears seemed full of my heartbeat, his words going right through without impact. Too close, that was way too close to be anything but the universe having fun at my expense.

Eventually another voice came into audio range, the drunk passing something down to Hanzo and telling him to let me drink it. Nodding as he passed it to me, I took a few gulps, screwing my face up at the sake but managing to bring my heartrate back to normal. "I'm okay," I squeezed out, trying to get back to my feet, "I'm okay."

"Alcohol, the panacea for all life's problems." The drunk cackled, downing another cup of the stuff.

"And the cause," Miyuki scolded, turning back to the rest of the customers, "I apologise for that interruption. Please return to your meals."

Letting Hanzo seat me back down, I shook my head slightly, "Sorry."

"For what? As far as I see it, better to get that kind of thing done now rather than later and regret it." Flashing me a grin, he grabbed his chopsticks, and eagerly grabbed at a large mouthful, chewing with a face of sheer bliss. "Soba time, best time of the day." Managing a small smile of my own, I began to eat my own serving, feeling the worry subside a little.