The Innkeeper's Daughter
By Maraba L.
Author: Maraba L.
E-Mail: woad_isatis@yahoo.com
Last Modified: 10/20/00
Title: The Innkeeper's Daughter
Type of Work: Fanfiction: drama/romance
Spoilers: none yet
Warnings: mature subject matter, lemonish (later chapters), language
Keywords: Chichiri, Tasuki
Prologue
Tasuki groaned, "I am so damned tired!" the bandit kicked at a tuft of earth, running his hand through his flame colored hair in frustration. They had been traveling for days, at the behest of the empress. Vague reports had been tendered concerning a roaming band of brigands and the two seishi had been sent to investigate. Thus far their travels had turned up nothing.
"Da" The monk sighed in agreement as they trudged through yet another village. "Let's see if we can find...umph!" the gasped and broke off as he crashed into a slender, running form.
"Gomen! Gomen nasai!!"
The monk looked down to find a slender young woman, clutching a small bundle of herbs looking up at him, striking blue eyes very wide, lip clenched between her teeth. He put his hands on her shoulders to steady her. " It's ok, no da...are you alright?" he bent down and gathered up the few stray plants that had fallen to the ground as they collided.
The girl nodded, looking down, " Hai." She took the herbs with a murmured thanks, blushing faintly as the monk's fingers brushed against her own.
Chichiri frowned as he felt the spark of magic in the girl, then looked more closely, his frown deepening as he took in her disheveled clothing and frightened demeanor. "Are you..." he began quietly but Tasuki cut him off, shifting impatiently.
"Hey, is there an inn in this village? We've been walking fer hours" he frowned as she stepped back, as though frightened. "We won't hurt ya...this is Chichiri and I'm Tasuki. Can you help us?"
The girl nodded shyly, " My father runs the inn here." She turned and pointed. " Six houses down on the right. You can get a room there." She offered.
The monk looked down the street then back to the girl before him. " Can you show us, no da?"
The girl blinked at the 'no da' and her mouth quirked into a smile as she nodded. "Hai." Despite her quiet replies, her eyes were shining with intense curiosity as she surreptitiously observed the two seishi, but shyness if not courtesy forbade her from deluging them with questions. She merely turned and began walking toward the inn.
"Wait, no da!" the monk smiled reassuringly as she turned back, a question in her wide eyes. " What is your name?"
" Isatis." She quickly turned away, before the men could question her further and led them down the winding street to her father's inn, stopping a few paces away. " Here it is. I...I have to go." Before the men could say anything further, Isatis turned and scurried away.
"Weird girl." Tasuki scratched his head. " Why was she so afraid of us?"
The monk frowned, his eyes following the slender form as it disappeared down a side street. " I don't know, but I do know that girl has very strong magic in her...very strong."
Tasuki shrugged and the two seishi walked into the inn. There were few patrons at that hour and as they took a seat at one of the tables, the Innkeeper scurried over almost immediately.
"What can I do for you today?" the man was tall, broad-shouldered with hard, aquiline features and very penetrating dark eyes.
Tasuki, " We need a room for-"
"At least a week, possibly longer, no da." The monk cut him off, shooting Tasuki an unreadable glance as the bandit looked at him surprised. "And a meal, no da."
"Meals are included." He quickly named a price and coins exchanged hands. "You two aren't from around here." It wasn't a question.
"No, we're travelling on business." Chichiri said tersely. " We ran into your daughter and she directed us here."
"Isatis?" the monk nodded and the man's eyes hardened. " I hope she didn't cause you any trouble." The innkeeper said shortly. "That girl is little more than street trash."
Tasuki's eyes widened and he opened his mouth to argue, but Chichiri held up a hand in warning, silencing the bandit. " She was very polite." He smiled, though it didn't reach his eye, hidden though it was by his mask.
The Innkeeper snorted, "Well, my other daughter Rowan helps out here...I'll send her over to take your order." He bowed shortly and hurried away. A few moments later a tall, willowly girl, elegantly coifed and manicured sauntered up to the table, giving the men an appraising look and twitching her hips invitingly.
"Can I help you, gentlemen?" she smiled, leaning forward a bit to show off her ample cleavage.
Tasuki coughed, "Um...whatever your house special is...and sake....."
Chichiri rolled his eyes, " I"ll have the same, but water, no da." The girl hovered a moment, then seeing that the men were not inclined to indulge her presence any further, hurried away with a small pout.
Chichiri leaned back, all his mental alarms going off. " Tasuki, something is very wrong here. I don't know what it is yet, but...something is not right."
Tasuki snorted, " yeah...did you see the look that girl gave us? Like WE were the main course?" he shook his head grinning.
Chichiri looked at him, removing his mask, "I am serious, no da. I want to stay for a time...I..." he glanced at the heavens. " we need to."
Tasuki shrugged, " Fine by me. I've had my fill of wandering the countryside!" he leaned back, putting his feet on one of the chairs, conscious of every ache.
The monk looked at the bandit and shook his head, amused. He was the only one who noticed when Isatis slipped in, scurrying quickly up the stairs.
By Maraba L.
Author: Maraba L.
E-Mail: woad_isatis@yahoo.com
Last Modified: 10/20/00
Title: The Innkeeper's Daughter
Type of Work: Fanfiction: drama/romance
Spoilers: none yet
Warnings: mature subject matter, lemonish (later chapters), language
Keywords: Chichiri, Tasuki
Prologue
Tasuki groaned, "I am so damned tired!" the bandit kicked at a tuft of earth, running his hand through his flame colored hair in frustration. They had been traveling for days, at the behest of the empress. Vague reports had been tendered concerning a roaming band of brigands and the two seishi had been sent to investigate. Thus far their travels had turned up nothing.
"Da" The monk sighed in agreement as they trudged through yet another village. "Let's see if we can find...umph!" the gasped and broke off as he crashed into a slender, running form.
"Gomen! Gomen nasai!!"
The monk looked down to find a slender young woman, clutching a small bundle of herbs looking up at him, striking blue eyes very wide, lip clenched between her teeth. He put his hands on her shoulders to steady her. " It's ok, no da...are you alright?" he bent down and gathered up the few stray plants that had fallen to the ground as they collided.
The girl nodded, looking down, " Hai." She took the herbs with a murmured thanks, blushing faintly as the monk's fingers brushed against her own.
Chichiri frowned as he felt the spark of magic in the girl, then looked more closely, his frown deepening as he took in her disheveled clothing and frightened demeanor. "Are you..." he began quietly but Tasuki cut him off, shifting impatiently.
"Hey, is there an inn in this village? We've been walking fer hours" he frowned as she stepped back, as though frightened. "We won't hurt ya...this is Chichiri and I'm Tasuki. Can you help us?"
The girl nodded shyly, " My father runs the inn here." She turned and pointed. " Six houses down on the right. You can get a room there." She offered.
The monk looked down the street then back to the girl before him. " Can you show us, no da?"
The girl blinked at the 'no da' and her mouth quirked into a smile as she nodded. "Hai." Despite her quiet replies, her eyes were shining with intense curiosity as she surreptitiously observed the two seishi, but shyness if not courtesy forbade her from deluging them with questions. She merely turned and began walking toward the inn.
"Wait, no da!" the monk smiled reassuringly as she turned back, a question in her wide eyes. " What is your name?"
" Isatis." She quickly turned away, before the men could question her further and led them down the winding street to her father's inn, stopping a few paces away. " Here it is. I...I have to go." Before the men could say anything further, Isatis turned and scurried away.
"Weird girl." Tasuki scratched his head. " Why was she so afraid of us?"
The monk frowned, his eyes following the slender form as it disappeared down a side street. " I don't know, but I do know that girl has very strong magic in her...very strong."
Tasuki shrugged and the two seishi walked into the inn. There were few patrons at that hour and as they took a seat at one of the tables, the Innkeeper scurried over almost immediately.
"What can I do for you today?" the man was tall, broad-shouldered with hard, aquiline features and very penetrating dark eyes.
Tasuki, " We need a room for-"
"At least a week, possibly longer, no da." The monk cut him off, shooting Tasuki an unreadable glance as the bandit looked at him surprised. "And a meal, no da."
"Meals are included." He quickly named a price and coins exchanged hands. "You two aren't from around here." It wasn't a question.
"No, we're travelling on business." Chichiri said tersely. " We ran into your daughter and she directed us here."
"Isatis?" the monk nodded and the man's eyes hardened. " I hope she didn't cause you any trouble." The innkeeper said shortly. "That girl is little more than street trash."
Tasuki's eyes widened and he opened his mouth to argue, but Chichiri held up a hand in warning, silencing the bandit. " She was very polite." He smiled, though it didn't reach his eye, hidden though it was by his mask.
The Innkeeper snorted, "Well, my other daughter Rowan helps out here...I'll send her over to take your order." He bowed shortly and hurried away. A few moments later a tall, willowly girl, elegantly coifed and manicured sauntered up to the table, giving the men an appraising look and twitching her hips invitingly.
"Can I help you, gentlemen?" she smiled, leaning forward a bit to show off her ample cleavage.
Tasuki coughed, "Um...whatever your house special is...and sake....."
Chichiri rolled his eyes, " I"ll have the same, but water, no da." The girl hovered a moment, then seeing that the men were not inclined to indulge her presence any further, hurried away with a small pout.
Chichiri leaned back, all his mental alarms going off. " Tasuki, something is very wrong here. I don't know what it is yet, but...something is not right."
Tasuki snorted, " yeah...did you see the look that girl gave us? Like WE were the main course?" he shook his head grinning.
Chichiri looked at him, removing his mask, "I am serious, no da. I want to stay for a time...I..." he glanced at the heavens. " we need to."
Tasuki shrugged, " Fine by me. I've had my fill of wandering the countryside!" he leaned back, putting his feet on one of the chairs, conscious of every ache.
The monk looked at the bandit and shook his head, amused. He was the only one who noticed when Isatis slipped in, scurrying quickly up the stairs.