Chapter 5
Whisperings
The air was filled with misgivings. The people were beginning to whisper. Ayame took solace beneath the stars, dreaming of death and Rikimaru. A crowd of ninjas watched her from a great distance, then turned in among themselves. It was as if the solitary image of Ayame had suddenly confirmed their suspicions.
"I am telling all of you, she is going to end up just like the damned ninth unit. She is too strong for her own good and she's unstable. She should be exiled."
"As if that would stop her. She should be bound."
"Stop it, all of you! You condemn the poor woman because she is suffering? Leave her to her mourning." demanded Koyanagi Taro. He alone of all the men felt the need to stand by Ayame. "Now tell me, what is this ninth unit you speak of?"
"You do not know of the legendary damned ninth unit?"
Taro shook his head.
"It was several decades ago, but the Godha Clan still fears it. A group of our own ninjas was sent on an ordinary mission to check up on one of our villages to the south. When they got there they found the entire village massacred by a pack of wild demons. Know one knows of the horrors those men saw. They engaged in battle with the demons and had a glorious victory. But...those who were still alive after the battle went insane. They turned on each other. Not a one survived. That is what happens when a ninja loses control of themselves. There is a fine line between a ninja's emotions and their training. It is a ninja's perpetual struggle to keep the two apart."
Taro shook his head sadly. "That is a terrible story. I am sorry to hear of it, and I shall pray for the peace of those poor men's souls. Yet, I still have faith in Ayame. She is strong yes, but in spirit as well as in body. You can see it in her eyes. Some say that she is enlightened."
"More like possessed. Taro, I know you feel compassion towards her, but we are thinking of the clan and of our families. She is a danger to us all."
"She is no danger to anyone but herself. Can you not see it in the way she looks at the stars? She wishes only for cessation from this burdensome life. When she carried Rikimaru's sword out of that hell she nearly plunged it into her heart. Lord Godha himself had to order her not to." Taro's eyes grew dark as he remembered the sad tale that Godha had recounted to him. "If I was her I would have done the same. Imagine, not just your lover, but your partner for so many years to suddenly be gone. The mere thought is unbearable to me."
The group became deathly quite, and gazed at the distant figure of Ayame in a new light. Some felt regret for their words while others were unchanged. It was not important either way. Ayame could only be touched by those closest to her; Lord Godha, Hinageshi, Kiku, and now Taro, but her feelings toward the hapless masses had severely decreased in recent days. She looked at others scornfully, not having to hear their cold words to know how they felt about her. They were only concerned for themselves when they thought about a grieving ninja. Oh, she knew quite well about the ninth unit. The greatest of tragedies. But she would not be so foolish as to follow the path of insanity. No, her path would be a much more complicated.
She unsheathed her swords and inspected their edges. Dull. She sighed, and begrudgingly took out her sharpening stone and got to work.
The smooth movement of rubbing the stone against her swords relaxed her. Smoothly forward, smoothly forward. Her arms and muscles, so adept to the actions, functioned automatically.
"I wonder..." she said suddenly to the stars, "How far my strength and enlightenment could take me? I have no equal in this clan, nor in any other that I know of. Only the demon lords seem to be a bit of a challenge."
Ayame's words were not filled with their usual arrogance. They were blunt, cold, and utterly true. No one could deny it. She was the most powerful ninja in existence.
Her swords now gleamed in the starlight. "So Rikimaru, think I should keep holding back?" she asked. "If I so wanted, this could all be mine. No more orders from royalty that never lifts a finger to help in the blood shed but will order a massacre in the blink of an eye. Ninjas ruling over ninjas. Isn't that how its supposed to be?"
There was nothing but silence. Ayame continued.
"Really now. It seems that I have a very big decision ahead of me. Why should I keep rejecting my power? Why do I not bend it to my will?"
Her grip was deathly tight. The swords shook with her fury.
"Lord Godha is no fighter." she spat. "And Kiku will be next in line to rule. But what have they done to prove themselves worthy of being my masters? Of being all our masters? Did I not lose you because Godha would have submitted to the ransom, because Godha would have paid with our heads?"
The silence mocked her.
"My only equal, Rikimaru, is a warrior! You knew that! I cannot simply go on like this! Ninjas bowing to such....weaklings...IS IT NOT AN INJUSTICE?" she screamed.
Several crows took flight, frightened by the sudden outburst.
"Tremble, Godha clan. Tremble. You have a very big threat closing in upon you." Ayame whispered, then retreated into the night.
Authors note:
Oh no!
Ayame!
Don't do it!
But what exactly will Ayame do next? Not even I know! She may turn either good or evil from here. I haven't yet decided. Oh well, hopefully I'll think of something after a few more pots of tea.
Thanks a bunch Lady Kieryn, cause as much as I want our Ayame to be running around happy this story was destined to have a dark theme to it. I mean, poor girl, after all she's been through there's no way she's going to be a little ray of sunshine. And thanks again Et-chan, I just read your latest story and I think its great! Keep up the good work!
And triple thanks to my Obiwan who keeps e-mailing me with info, cause I sure as hell need it.
The air was filled with misgivings. The people were beginning to whisper. Ayame took solace beneath the stars, dreaming of death and Rikimaru. A crowd of ninjas watched her from a great distance, then turned in among themselves. It was as if the solitary image of Ayame had suddenly confirmed their suspicions.
"I am telling all of you, she is going to end up just like the damned ninth unit. She is too strong for her own good and she's unstable. She should be exiled."
"As if that would stop her. She should be bound."
"Stop it, all of you! You condemn the poor woman because she is suffering? Leave her to her mourning." demanded Koyanagi Taro. He alone of all the men felt the need to stand by Ayame. "Now tell me, what is this ninth unit you speak of?"
"You do not know of the legendary damned ninth unit?"
Taro shook his head.
"It was several decades ago, but the Godha Clan still fears it. A group of our own ninjas was sent on an ordinary mission to check up on one of our villages to the south. When they got there they found the entire village massacred by a pack of wild demons. Know one knows of the horrors those men saw. They engaged in battle with the demons and had a glorious victory. But...those who were still alive after the battle went insane. They turned on each other. Not a one survived. That is what happens when a ninja loses control of themselves. There is a fine line between a ninja's emotions and their training. It is a ninja's perpetual struggle to keep the two apart."
Taro shook his head sadly. "That is a terrible story. I am sorry to hear of it, and I shall pray for the peace of those poor men's souls. Yet, I still have faith in Ayame. She is strong yes, but in spirit as well as in body. You can see it in her eyes. Some say that she is enlightened."
"More like possessed. Taro, I know you feel compassion towards her, but we are thinking of the clan and of our families. She is a danger to us all."
"She is no danger to anyone but herself. Can you not see it in the way she looks at the stars? She wishes only for cessation from this burdensome life. When she carried Rikimaru's sword out of that hell she nearly plunged it into her heart. Lord Godha himself had to order her not to." Taro's eyes grew dark as he remembered the sad tale that Godha had recounted to him. "If I was her I would have done the same. Imagine, not just your lover, but your partner for so many years to suddenly be gone. The mere thought is unbearable to me."
The group became deathly quite, and gazed at the distant figure of Ayame in a new light. Some felt regret for their words while others were unchanged. It was not important either way. Ayame could only be touched by those closest to her; Lord Godha, Hinageshi, Kiku, and now Taro, but her feelings toward the hapless masses had severely decreased in recent days. She looked at others scornfully, not having to hear their cold words to know how they felt about her. They were only concerned for themselves when they thought about a grieving ninja. Oh, she knew quite well about the ninth unit. The greatest of tragedies. But she would not be so foolish as to follow the path of insanity. No, her path would be a much more complicated.
She unsheathed her swords and inspected their edges. Dull. She sighed, and begrudgingly took out her sharpening stone and got to work.
The smooth movement of rubbing the stone against her swords relaxed her. Smoothly forward, smoothly forward. Her arms and muscles, so adept to the actions, functioned automatically.
"I wonder..." she said suddenly to the stars, "How far my strength and enlightenment could take me? I have no equal in this clan, nor in any other that I know of. Only the demon lords seem to be a bit of a challenge."
Ayame's words were not filled with their usual arrogance. They were blunt, cold, and utterly true. No one could deny it. She was the most powerful ninja in existence.
Her swords now gleamed in the starlight. "So Rikimaru, think I should keep holding back?" she asked. "If I so wanted, this could all be mine. No more orders from royalty that never lifts a finger to help in the blood shed but will order a massacre in the blink of an eye. Ninjas ruling over ninjas. Isn't that how its supposed to be?"
There was nothing but silence. Ayame continued.
"Really now. It seems that I have a very big decision ahead of me. Why should I keep rejecting my power? Why do I not bend it to my will?"
Her grip was deathly tight. The swords shook with her fury.
"Lord Godha is no fighter." she spat. "And Kiku will be next in line to rule. But what have they done to prove themselves worthy of being my masters? Of being all our masters? Did I not lose you because Godha would have submitted to the ransom, because Godha would have paid with our heads?"
The silence mocked her.
"My only equal, Rikimaru, is a warrior! You knew that! I cannot simply go on like this! Ninjas bowing to such....weaklings...IS IT NOT AN INJUSTICE?" she screamed.
Several crows took flight, frightened by the sudden outburst.
"Tremble, Godha clan. Tremble. You have a very big threat closing in upon you." Ayame whispered, then retreated into the night.
Authors note:
Oh no!
Ayame!
Don't do it!
But what exactly will Ayame do next? Not even I know! She may turn either good or evil from here. I haven't yet decided. Oh well, hopefully I'll think of something after a few more pots of tea.
Thanks a bunch Lady Kieryn, cause as much as I want our Ayame to be running around happy this story was destined to have a dark theme to it. I mean, poor girl, after all she's been through there's no way she's going to be a little ray of sunshine. And thanks again Et-chan, I just read your latest story and I think its great! Keep up the good work!
And triple thanks to my Obiwan who keeps e-mailing me with info, cause I sure as hell need it.