Alas, I do not own good-looking redheaded samurai.
*****
BLADE OF THE PAST
Chapter 3 – Shinta
"Who are you?" the kid asked the moment Yahiko's form reappeared in the alleyway. The boy was shivering, backed against a wall and huddling between two cartons that had been left to rot.
Yahiko frowned with disgust at the boy, for who would be stupid enough to stick around the scene of your latest beating? After seeing him like this though, Yahiko's anger at the kid's lack of action faded into pity. The kid was cold and scared, and he was obviously more than shaken over the whole affair than he tried to let on.
The boy cowered even more as Yahiko crouched in front of him.
"My name is Yahiko," he offered, finally answering the kid's question. "What's yours?"
The kid shook his head, unwilling to reveal his name even though Yahiko had proven he wasn't going to hurt the boy. At least, in Yahiko's mind he'd proven himself as a friend. Why would he save the kid's life from those thugs if he weren't a friend? Unless Yahiko only wanted to gain his trust and use him later.... ok, so Yahiko could understand why the boy was still cautious.
"Come on kid," Yahiko pleaded as he held a hand out, looking more like he was trying to calm a frightened and abused dog rather than a human being. The kid's tremors stopped as he contemplated the offered hand. His ruby-colored eyes flicked from Yahiko's face to the outstretched fingers and back again. Yahiko remained in front of him, his hand out and a slight smile on his face. Finally the kid accepted the offered hand.
Yahiko beamed and pulled the kid to his feet. "So what's your name kid?" Yahiko asked again.
The boy wavered a moment before he answered, "Shinta."
"Well, nice to meet you Shinta. I'm glad I got here when I did today. Can I walk you home?"
Shinta looked panicked at the mention of his home. He backed away and hung his head, obscuring his dirtied and slightly bruising face with long unkempt bangs. "I don't have one."
Yahiko grinned like a madman, and if Shinta had been watching, then he would surely have been scared even more. "That's great then. You can come home with me. My parents died a long time ago. I live at the dojo where I learn the Kamiya Kasshin style of swordsmanship. You can come too."
Hope glimmered in the boy's eyes as he looked up at Yahiko. "Do you think so?"
"Sure. Kaoru's a rude ugly hag, but she won't turn someone who needs help away." Yahiko normally wouldn't have been so nice to the kid, or have treated him so childlike, but Shinta seemed like he needed the extra comfort. Shinta looked about thirteen, but Yahiko guessed the kid had seen a lot in his life. He was too shifty and panicked for Yahiko to think otherwise.