Apprentice
Chapter 15
The dragon's inspiration
In the clearing behind the cabin, a small red-haired boy and a large man faced each other, weapons at the ready.
"Come at me, Kenji!" urged Hiko. "NOW!"
The boy leapt across the few steps that separated him from his sensei. His long red hair and flying clothes gave the brief impression of flight.
"Ryu-sho-shen!" he yelled in a fierce voice. His sword attack started low from the saya and came up more quickly than was discernible by the naked eye, ending abruptly under Hiko's chin as he pulled the attack at the last millisecond.
(ryu-sho-sen: "dragon flight flash": starts low and upper cuts to the opponents throat at the last second, hiten-mitsurugi ryu, saya-sheath)
Hiko laughed quietly, standing immobile with folded arms. He hadn't moved an inch during Kenji's rush towards him.
"That was actually worth my attention, boy," Hiko told him, smirking. "Again," he ordered.
The complex movement was repeated and again, the attack stopped short of the tall man's throat.
"That's enough for now," Hiko said, placing his hand on the dull edge of the practice sword still lying at his throat. Kenji withdrew the sword and in a flash, sheathed it.
"I can do more, Shishou," Kenji panted eagerly, searching the man's face for his reaction.
"I said that's enough for now," Hiko said more sternly, "I don't like repeating myself to a baka deshi."
"Yes, Shishou," replied Kenji, bowing his head and leaning slightly on the sayo as he did so, still panting a bit from exertion. Together they walked back in the lengthening shadows of afternoon to the cabin.
"Omasu-san brought me a letter from your parents, Kenji," said Hiko as they went inside. "The tell me that they cannot bear life without your presence one second longer and wish to come to Kyoto two weeks earlier than planned." Hiko snorted.
"Omasu-san is very pretty, ne, Hiko-san?" asked Kenji with feigned wide- eyed innocence that wouldn't have deceived a newborn.
"What are doing noticing such things at your age, boy?" said Hiko irritably.
"Nothing," said Kenji grinned, putting his saya carefully away in his room and coming out to quickly wash his hands and face in a basin of cool water.
"Nothing, eh?" said Hiko as he did the same. Kenji handed him a clean towel after his ablutions.
"I think Omasu-san likes you," Kenji said, smirking. "She keeps looking at your, um, shirt."
"Quiet, chibi-baka, you are just trying to annoy me," growled Hiko. "And it's working."
"I still think Omasu-san likes you," insisted Kenji stubbornly, grinning and hands folded across his small chest.
"Shut up and help me get water for our baths and then our dinner, baka deshi."
"Yes, Shishou." Snicker.
"Laugh again and you'll be sleeping outside tonight."
"Yes, Shishou." Silence.
"That's better."
Two hours later , they ate dinner in companionable silence. Kenji was so tired, he could think of nothing to say, and Hiko was also silent, for once.
Kenji finished with a huge sigh and putting down his bowl and chopsticks, briefly closed his eyes and rested his head upon his hands, elbows on the knees of this crossed legs.
"Tired, boy?" asked Hiko, putting aside his own empty bowl.
"Hai, Shishou," said Kenji wearily.
"Good," replied his sensei, "Surpassing your limits is what leads to excellence."
"Hn," replied Kenji, sighing again. He was almost asleep sitting up.
"I think your father will be...pleased when he returns, Kenji-chan," Hiko said, almost to himself.
"Hn," grunted Kenji again, barely conscious.
"Kenji-chan?" Hiko peered into the boy's face.
"He's asleep?" He reached over and shook the boy's shoulder.
"NANI?" Kenji jumped under the rough hand on his shoulder.
"Go to bed, boy, or you'll be spending the night on the floor here," Hiko grinned that the sleepy eyed boy.
"Hai," said Kenji, getting slowly to his feet. He yawned hugely and rubbed his hand across his face, trying to wake himself.
"Shishou?" asked Kenji suddenly.
"What, boy?" Hiko asked gruffly.
"How long will it take me to learn the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu?"
"I don't know, boy."
"You don't know?" this last whispered in an incredulous tone. Kenji had never heard his master before utter those words.
"I don't know because no one knows how long they will live, chibi-baka," replied Hiko testily.
"What does that mean?" Kenji asked, now more puzzled than before.
"It means that you never quit learning, chibi-baka," replied Hiko grinning slyly at Kenji.
"Oh," said Kenji thoughtfully, still puzzled.
"Think about it tomorrow, boy," said Hiko to him still grinning.
"Oyasumi nasai," Kenji said politely, turning into his room.
"Oyasumi," replied Hiko shortly. He grinned after the boy's retreating form, and went to gather up the dishes from the low table, putting them to soak in a bucket of soapy warm water. This was usually Kenji's chore, of course, but the boy had truly surpassed himself that day.
Hiko barely admitted to himself the boy's amazing talents. It seemed he only had to describe an attack to Kenji and the boy could visualize it and execute it after only a few attempts.
Hiko shook his head.
"Shishou?" Hiko raised his head at the question. Kenji had come back into the small common area.
"I thought I sent you to bed, chibi-baka," said Hiko, wiping his wet hands on a towel.
"I forgot I was supposed to clean the dishes," said Kenji, lowering his head. "Gomen naisai, Shishou," he said humbly.
"I excused you, boy," said Hiko sharply, "do not make a habit of apologizing where none is needed."
"Hai," said Kenji, eyes still lowered.
"You remind me of your baka-tosan when you do that," grumbled Hiko.
"Do what, Shishou?" asked Kenji, raising his eyes again.
"Apologize for everything you do or don't do," replied Hiko.
"To-san says good manners are very important," Kenji recited.
"Are you saying I don't have good manners, boy?" asked Hiko, slyly.
"N-no, Shishou," said Kenji, embarrassed.
"That's okay, boy," he grinned. "Relief from the necessary hypocrisy of good manners is one very important reason I live up here by myself."
"Oh," said Kenji, not quite understanding, but not wanting to appear stupid.
"Oyasumi naisai," Kenji said again, turning to his room.
"You said that already," muttered Hiko.
Chapter 15
The dragon's inspiration
In the clearing behind the cabin, a small red-haired boy and a large man faced each other, weapons at the ready.
"Come at me, Kenji!" urged Hiko. "NOW!"
The boy leapt across the few steps that separated him from his sensei. His long red hair and flying clothes gave the brief impression of flight.
"Ryu-sho-shen!" he yelled in a fierce voice. His sword attack started low from the saya and came up more quickly than was discernible by the naked eye, ending abruptly under Hiko's chin as he pulled the attack at the last millisecond.
(ryu-sho-sen: "dragon flight flash": starts low and upper cuts to the opponents throat at the last second, hiten-mitsurugi ryu, saya-sheath)
Hiko laughed quietly, standing immobile with folded arms. He hadn't moved an inch during Kenji's rush towards him.
"That was actually worth my attention, boy," Hiko told him, smirking. "Again," he ordered.
The complex movement was repeated and again, the attack stopped short of the tall man's throat.
"That's enough for now," Hiko said, placing his hand on the dull edge of the practice sword still lying at his throat. Kenji withdrew the sword and in a flash, sheathed it.
"I can do more, Shishou," Kenji panted eagerly, searching the man's face for his reaction.
"I said that's enough for now," Hiko said more sternly, "I don't like repeating myself to a baka deshi."
"Yes, Shishou," replied Kenji, bowing his head and leaning slightly on the sayo as he did so, still panting a bit from exertion. Together they walked back in the lengthening shadows of afternoon to the cabin.
"Omasu-san brought me a letter from your parents, Kenji," said Hiko as they went inside. "The tell me that they cannot bear life without your presence one second longer and wish to come to Kyoto two weeks earlier than planned." Hiko snorted.
"Omasu-san is very pretty, ne, Hiko-san?" asked Kenji with feigned wide- eyed innocence that wouldn't have deceived a newborn.
"What are doing noticing such things at your age, boy?" said Hiko irritably.
"Nothing," said Kenji grinned, putting his saya carefully away in his room and coming out to quickly wash his hands and face in a basin of cool water.
"Nothing, eh?" said Hiko as he did the same. Kenji handed him a clean towel after his ablutions.
"I think Omasu-san likes you," Kenji said, smirking. "She keeps looking at your, um, shirt."
"Quiet, chibi-baka, you are just trying to annoy me," growled Hiko. "And it's working."
"I still think Omasu-san likes you," insisted Kenji stubbornly, grinning and hands folded across his small chest.
"Shut up and help me get water for our baths and then our dinner, baka deshi."
"Yes, Shishou." Snicker.
"Laugh again and you'll be sleeping outside tonight."
"Yes, Shishou." Silence.
"That's better."
Two hours later , they ate dinner in companionable silence. Kenji was so tired, he could think of nothing to say, and Hiko was also silent, for once.
Kenji finished with a huge sigh and putting down his bowl and chopsticks, briefly closed his eyes and rested his head upon his hands, elbows on the knees of this crossed legs.
"Tired, boy?" asked Hiko, putting aside his own empty bowl.
"Hai, Shishou," said Kenji wearily.
"Good," replied his sensei, "Surpassing your limits is what leads to excellence."
"Hn," replied Kenji, sighing again. He was almost asleep sitting up.
"I think your father will be...pleased when he returns, Kenji-chan," Hiko said, almost to himself.
"Hn," grunted Kenji again, barely conscious.
"Kenji-chan?" Hiko peered into the boy's face.
"He's asleep?" He reached over and shook the boy's shoulder.
"NANI?" Kenji jumped under the rough hand on his shoulder.
"Go to bed, boy, or you'll be spending the night on the floor here," Hiko grinned that the sleepy eyed boy.
"Hai," said Kenji, getting slowly to his feet. He yawned hugely and rubbed his hand across his face, trying to wake himself.
"Shishou?" asked Kenji suddenly.
"What, boy?" Hiko asked gruffly.
"How long will it take me to learn the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu?"
"I don't know, boy."
"You don't know?" this last whispered in an incredulous tone. Kenji had never heard his master before utter those words.
"I don't know because no one knows how long they will live, chibi-baka," replied Hiko testily.
"What does that mean?" Kenji asked, now more puzzled than before.
"It means that you never quit learning, chibi-baka," replied Hiko grinning slyly at Kenji.
"Oh," said Kenji thoughtfully, still puzzled.
"Think about it tomorrow, boy," said Hiko to him still grinning.
"Oyasumi nasai," Kenji said politely, turning into his room.
"Oyasumi," replied Hiko shortly. He grinned after the boy's retreating form, and went to gather up the dishes from the low table, putting them to soak in a bucket of soapy warm water. This was usually Kenji's chore, of course, but the boy had truly surpassed himself that day.
Hiko barely admitted to himself the boy's amazing talents. It seemed he only had to describe an attack to Kenji and the boy could visualize it and execute it after only a few attempts.
Hiko shook his head.
"Shishou?" Hiko raised his head at the question. Kenji had come back into the small common area.
"I thought I sent you to bed, chibi-baka," said Hiko, wiping his wet hands on a towel.
"I forgot I was supposed to clean the dishes," said Kenji, lowering his head. "Gomen naisai, Shishou," he said humbly.
"I excused you, boy," said Hiko sharply, "do not make a habit of apologizing where none is needed."
"Hai," said Kenji, eyes still lowered.
"You remind me of your baka-tosan when you do that," grumbled Hiko.
"Do what, Shishou?" asked Kenji, raising his eyes again.
"Apologize for everything you do or don't do," replied Hiko.
"To-san says good manners are very important," Kenji recited.
"Are you saying I don't have good manners, boy?" asked Hiko, slyly.
"N-no, Shishou," said Kenji, embarrassed.
"That's okay, boy," he grinned. "Relief from the necessary hypocrisy of good manners is one very important reason I live up here by myself."
"Oh," said Kenji, not quite understanding, but not wanting to appear stupid.
"Oyasumi naisai," Kenji said again, turning to his room.
"You said that already," muttered Hiko.
