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
Chapter 2
Tasuki lingered over the remnants of his breakfast, calmly surveying the few other patrons of the inn through slitted eyes, all the while making mental notes and wishing, a bit enviously that he possessed just a little of Chichiri's mind magic. The monk was right, the ex-bandit thought to himself, there was something going on at this inn. For one thing, the owner was far too wealthy. The discreet, though to Tasuki's practiced eye, high quality of the inn-master's possessions was setting off vague mental alarms in the seishi. From what he had observed and overheard thus far, there were only a handful of regular patrons and none that would provide the type of affluence he had witnessed. The village was not located along a major trade route and the inn-keeper had no other obvious means of support.
Tasuki's gaze sharpened as he noticed Rowan talking to her father and glaring angrily in his direction. Stifling a smirk, the man crossed his booted legs on the chair opposite him and leaned back in his chair, unable to hear the exchange but noting the father's eyes flicking over him suspiciously. His curiosity was further roused by the delivery of several packages which broke up the familial exchange, sending Rowan back to waiting tables. Tasuki noted the fact that the delivery men looked a bit too well armed before turning his attention to the girl. Putting on his best arrogant smirk, he reached out and seized her arm as she moved past him.
"I hope you won't hold our earlier exchange against me." He purred rakishly as she turned to face him, features contorted in fury. " Had to keep up appearances in front of that damned monk." He spat contemptuously. "Shit, I'll be glad when this assignment is over." He ran his eyes over her appreciatively. " I'd much rather have my time free for more...entertaining pursuits." He leered up at her, one fang glistening in the morning light.
Rowan flipped her hair over her shoulder and the hostility of her expression shifted to a calculating, lustful gleam. "What are you doing with that monk anyway? You don't seem like a religious man to me." She purred, leaning close to him, exposing a great deal of cleavage as she did so.
Tasuki snorted, "Bodyguard. Pain in the ass too...he's a fucking do-gooder, always nosing about where he's neither wanted nor needed." He caressed her arm with one thumb. "This job pays well enough but.....I'll be free for other things soon enough."
Rowan smiled, taking a seat next to him. "He should learn to mind his own business." She fingered his shirt teasingly. "He doesn't know my sister...like I do."
Tasuki was very proud of himself for resisting the urge to slap the arrogant pout off her face. Instead he shrugged, "He's a sucker for a damsel in distress." He snorted, the cocked his head as if in thought. "I know people who would pay a great deal to have your sister as a plaything. She doesn't seem to be good for much." Again he shrugged. "You could make a bit of money on her." He calmly took a drink of his tea, noting her every reaction.
Rowan smiled again, " Oh, we already have plans for her. Why else do you think father would keep her around?" she ran a hand over the hard muscles of his upper arm. "She doesn't know it though, pathetic cow that she is." The girl's expression grew hard and contemptuous."
Don't be too sure of that, Tasuki thought to himself though outwardly he looked completely disinterested in the fate of Rowan's younger sister. "Whatever. I'm Genrou." He grinned rakishly at her.
Rowan breathed his name once, licking her lips, "And where's your monk now, Genrou?"
The flame-haired man shrugged, "Meditating, praying, jerking off for all I know. He told me he wanted time alone which is just fine by me." He plucked her hand off his shirt and nipped at one finger. "It's very lonely traveling with a monk." He purred.
Rowan smiled, batting his eyes, "You don't have to be alone tonight, Genrou." She caressed jaw teasingly. "Surely even monks have to sleep."
Tasuki's smirk widened, "Are you offering companionship? Such a beautiful woman, I'm not sure I'd be able to control myself." His eyes burned into hers but her smile merely deepend.
"I'm hoping you don't." she breathed, her hand running down his chest to caress his groin beneath the table.
Tasuki chuckled and caught her hand, bringing it to his lips, " Tonight, my dear." He promised, eyes gleaming. "You don't want to get me all hot and bothered now do you?"
Rowan only smirked, "My room is the last on the left, same floor as yours. I'll leave the door unlocked." She smiled as he traced her lips. "Maybe I can speak to my father, we can always use another" her eyes raked over him hotly, "able bodied man for our...other pursuits."
Tasuki grinned, nipping at her fingers again, "I think I'd like that." Boldly, he undressed her with his eyes. "I think I'd like that a lot. You're much more pleasing than any monk." He grinned.
Rowan only snorted and stood up, " I have to get back to work." She smiled, twitching her hips invitingly. "I'll see you tonight, Genrou."
Tasuki leered up at her, eyes lit with what she obviously thought was anticipation. "And I had better go hunt up that damned monk." He sighed heavily pulling himself to his feet as she gave him a sympathetic look. He moved past her, surreptitiously caressing her ass and stalked out the door.
He made it past two houses before turning into an alleyway and leaning heavily against the wall, wondering if he'd gotten himself into more than he could handle.
Isatis sighed as her skin slipped away, borne by the pulsating rhythm of her breath and her blood. Following the thread of energy, the life-cord that ran though and from her body, she left the world above and descended to the world below, her spirit rejoicing in the freedom found only when bereft of physical form. To the drumbeat of her life-breath, will directed spirit and she took the form of a white magpie, darting swiftly through the ever shifting tapestry of the between-worlds realm, heeding the whispered call that only she could hear.
The inner-earth opened to receive her essence and her winged form descended to alight in a high vaulted chamber coming to rest before a bubbling obsidian fountain. As will again summoned spirit, the girl's body shifting again into shining human spirit-form, she heard a low, melodious voice wrapping around her soothingly, "Welcome, daughter."
Chichiri was almost to the stream when he felt the rushing breath of magic resonating around him. Quickening his pace, feeling the beating of phoenix wings about his shoulders, he broke into a run only to stop in shock as the stream came into view. Sitting cross-legged, partially hidden beneath the boughs of a weeping willow tree, Isatis sat eyes closed, hands resting palms up on her knees totally oblivious to the outside world. The monk stared in shock and felt his knee begin to burn as his seishi symbol flared in response to the girl before him. For though the tree might conceal her form, it could not and did not conceal the brilliant violet flame emanating from the girl's heart, a flame that formed the pattern of a sigil, marking her as a chosen warrior.
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
Chapter 2
Tasuki lingered over the remnants of his breakfast, calmly surveying the few other patrons of the inn through slitted eyes, all the while making mental notes and wishing, a bit enviously that he possessed just a little of Chichiri's mind magic. The monk was right, the ex-bandit thought to himself, there was something going on at this inn. For one thing, the owner was far too wealthy. The discreet, though to Tasuki's practiced eye, high quality of the inn-master's possessions was setting off vague mental alarms in the seishi. From what he had observed and overheard thus far, there were only a handful of regular patrons and none that would provide the type of affluence he had witnessed. The village was not located along a major trade route and the inn-keeper had no other obvious means of support.
Tasuki's gaze sharpened as he noticed Rowan talking to her father and glaring angrily in his direction. Stifling a smirk, the man crossed his booted legs on the chair opposite him and leaned back in his chair, unable to hear the exchange but noting the father's eyes flicking over him suspiciously. His curiosity was further roused by the delivery of several packages which broke up the familial exchange, sending Rowan back to waiting tables. Tasuki noted the fact that the delivery men looked a bit too well armed before turning his attention to the girl. Putting on his best arrogant smirk, he reached out and seized her arm as she moved past him.
"I hope you won't hold our earlier exchange against me." He purred rakishly as she turned to face him, features contorted in fury. " Had to keep up appearances in front of that damned monk." He spat contemptuously. "Shit, I'll be glad when this assignment is over." He ran his eyes over her appreciatively. " I'd much rather have my time free for more...entertaining pursuits." He leered up at her, one fang glistening in the morning light.
Rowan flipped her hair over her shoulder and the hostility of her expression shifted to a calculating, lustful gleam. "What are you doing with that monk anyway? You don't seem like a religious man to me." She purred, leaning close to him, exposing a great deal of cleavage as she did so.
Tasuki snorted, "Bodyguard. Pain in the ass too...he's a fucking do-gooder, always nosing about where he's neither wanted nor needed." He caressed her arm with one thumb. "This job pays well enough but.....I'll be free for other things soon enough."
Rowan smiled, taking a seat next to him. "He should learn to mind his own business." She fingered his shirt teasingly. "He doesn't know my sister...like I do."
Tasuki was very proud of himself for resisting the urge to slap the arrogant pout off her face. Instead he shrugged, "He's a sucker for a damsel in distress." He snorted, the cocked his head as if in thought. "I know people who would pay a great deal to have your sister as a plaything. She doesn't seem to be good for much." Again he shrugged. "You could make a bit of money on her." He calmly took a drink of his tea, noting her every reaction.
Rowan smiled again, " Oh, we already have plans for her. Why else do you think father would keep her around?" she ran a hand over the hard muscles of his upper arm. "She doesn't know it though, pathetic cow that she is." The girl's expression grew hard and contemptuous."
Don't be too sure of that, Tasuki thought to himself though outwardly he looked completely disinterested in the fate of Rowan's younger sister. "Whatever. I'm Genrou." He grinned rakishly at her.
Rowan breathed his name once, licking her lips, "And where's your monk now, Genrou?"
The flame-haired man shrugged, "Meditating, praying, jerking off for all I know. He told me he wanted time alone which is just fine by me." He plucked her hand off his shirt and nipped at one finger. "It's very lonely traveling with a monk." He purred.
Rowan smiled, batting his eyes, "You don't have to be alone tonight, Genrou." She caressed jaw teasingly. "Surely even monks have to sleep."
Tasuki's smirk widened, "Are you offering companionship? Such a beautiful woman, I'm not sure I'd be able to control myself." His eyes burned into hers but her smile merely deepend.
"I'm hoping you don't." she breathed, her hand running down his chest to caress his groin beneath the table.
Tasuki chuckled and caught her hand, bringing it to his lips, " Tonight, my dear." He promised, eyes gleaming. "You don't want to get me all hot and bothered now do you?"
Rowan only smirked, "My room is the last on the left, same floor as yours. I'll leave the door unlocked." She smiled as he traced her lips. "Maybe I can speak to my father, we can always use another" her eyes raked over him hotly, "able bodied man for our...other pursuits."
Tasuki grinned, nipping at her fingers again, "I think I'd like that." Boldly, he undressed her with his eyes. "I think I'd like that a lot. You're much more pleasing than any monk." He grinned.
Rowan only snorted and stood up, " I have to get back to work." She smiled, twitching her hips invitingly. "I'll see you tonight, Genrou."
Tasuki leered up at her, eyes lit with what she obviously thought was anticipation. "And I had better go hunt up that damned monk." He sighed heavily pulling himself to his feet as she gave him a sympathetic look. He moved past her, surreptitiously caressing her ass and stalked out the door.
He made it past two houses before turning into an alleyway and leaning heavily against the wall, wondering if he'd gotten himself into more than he could handle.
Isatis sighed as her skin slipped away, borne by the pulsating rhythm of her breath and her blood. Following the thread of energy, the life-cord that ran though and from her body, she left the world above and descended to the world below, her spirit rejoicing in the freedom found only when bereft of physical form. To the drumbeat of her life-breath, will directed spirit and she took the form of a white magpie, darting swiftly through the ever shifting tapestry of the between-worlds realm, heeding the whispered call that only she could hear.
The inner-earth opened to receive her essence and her winged form descended to alight in a high vaulted chamber coming to rest before a bubbling obsidian fountain. As will again summoned spirit, the girl's body shifting again into shining human spirit-form, she heard a low, melodious voice wrapping around her soothingly, "Welcome, daughter."
Chichiri was almost to the stream when he felt the rushing breath of magic resonating around him. Quickening his pace, feeling the beating of phoenix wings about his shoulders, he broke into a run only to stop in shock as the stream came into view. Sitting cross-legged, partially hidden beneath the boughs of a weeping willow tree, Isatis sat eyes closed, hands resting palms up on her knees totally oblivious to the outside world. The monk stared in shock and felt his knee begin to burn as his seishi symbol flared in response to the girl before him. For though the tree might conceal her form, it could not and did not conceal the brilliant violet flame emanating from the girl's heart, a flame that formed the pattern of a sigil, marking her as a chosen warrior.