It was wonderful. The downy clouds framed the rising sun, its brilliant
hues giving them a life all their own. Sachi loved looking at the morning
sky as daylight washed over the valley. There was something re-assuring in
that radiance, something that made her feel warm and safe. As long as she
could wake each morning to watch the beautiful glow, she felt she would
always be happy.
"Sachi!" A moment's silence preceded a second, louder call. "Sachi! Breakfast!"
Startled out of her reverie by her mother's call, the young child quickly climbed to her feet and ran off towards the wonderful smell that was tickling her nose. Today was the first of the week, and that always meant her favorite meals all day long.
Sachi burst through the door, a shooting star of energy and youthful enthusiasm, as always. And as always, the stern hand caught her by the back of the collar as she ran by, and lifted her into the air as it had dozens upon dozens of times before.
"Now Sachi, what have your mother and I always told you about wandering out in the fields alone?" A knowing smile played on her father's face. His bright hair shone in the morning light, as his arm held her aloft despite her persistent struggling.
"I know, I know, It's dangerous and something could happen and there are mean people in the world and I could get lost and then Mom's heart would break and you'd never get over it and you and Mom would cry for the rest of your lives and..." Sachi had heard her mother give the speech too many times to count, but she loved the fields; running through the tall grass, letting the sun wash over her face, and playing with the birds were things that brought her boundless joy every day. She knew her father understood, but he always lectured her anyways. ".. and it would be the end of the world, all because of me."
"Well I don't know about all that..." His smile brought one of her own to her face as he unceremoniously let her plop back to the ground. "But it is dangerous... So don't do it." He leaned down out of his chair and winked. "And if you do, don't let Mom find out, ok?" Sachi giggled and ran off to get ready for breakfast.
"Really dear, you're too easy on her. She has to learn not to always go running off alone, or one day we're going to lose her." Miya set the fresh soup bowls down on the matted floor, turning to look at her husband with a scathing look that conveyed her disapproval with his 'lecture'.
"Now look, honey, the girl just loves being outside, it calls to her. You were like that once too, is it really so bad?" He knelt down before his breakfast, inhaling deeply.
"You know as well as I do, things aren't the same these days. With all the warlords' squabbling over the lands, and their pet Samurai, it's hardly safe for anyone to be out alone, not to mention an innocent young girl like Sachi. And with you out so often with your work..." Miya let out a deep sigh, her kimono rising and falling with her breath. "I'm just concerned for her." She was sorry she'd mentioned her husband's practice, she knew he'd be leaving again soon.
"I understand, but we can't just keep her cooped up inside and try to make her frightened of the outside world all the time. She'll probably have to make her living in the fields, we shouldn't keep her from enjoying them. Besides, she's so happy out there."
She sighed again, she hated trying to convince her husband of anything, he was so single-minded, he could hardly ever see past the here and now. What if Sachi disappeared? What would they do without her? She was their life-- no, even more. She was their daughter. The culmination of their love for each other, and the center of all their care. She was the thing they cherished more than anything in the world.
"I guess Mother was right, we Caedon women do pick the most impractical and carefree men to go and fall in love with. What am I going to do with you? She's our daughter, for heaven's sake."
The man's eyes gleamed a light hazel, and a sheepish grin stumbled across his face. "That's precisely the reason we shouldn't hold her back." Setting his emptied bowl down, he stood and headed towards the door.
"Are you already leaving? Sachi hasn't even finished cleaning up yet.." Miya's voice was casual, but her eyes revealed the sorrow she felt at her husband's hurry to leave.
His loving smile eased her heart even as his amber eyes looked deep into her soul and told her how much he wished he could stay. "I know, but I hate saying goodbye to her every day, it hurts her, as if she's worried I won't come back. Besides, Mr. Shinta's son is very ill, I'll need as much time with him today as possible if I'm to help him through this." His smile melted slowly away, as he turned to go. "Tell Sachi I love her."
Miya looked after him with eyes full of concern for both her lifemate and her daughter. "Of course... and Crux?" Her husband's head turned back to face her, the morning hues highlighting his silver hair and bristly face. "Try not to be gone so long this time, alright?" One last precious smile from him, and he was out the door, and off towards the hills. The brilliant rising star in the sky silhouetted his form against the foliage, and then he was gone. Miya sighed and looked at her untouched breakfast. She wondered how long it would be before she would see her husband again, and turned to look into the morning sky...
***
The morning sky... As he marched over the hills, Crux remembered that day so long ago. Different choices that day could have led to a different life, a different destiny; but those were choices he had long since made, there was nothing he could do now. Changing the past was far beyond his abilities. All that was left to him now was to change the future. He closed his eyes and hoped he was equal to the task. His hand gripped the sheath of his sword tighter, and his thoughts drifted again, aimlessly. No, not quite aimlessly; they drifted away... away from the bittersweet memory of that day, a day he would never forget, for it was the last time he would see his wife and daughter alive.
"Sachi!" A moment's silence preceded a second, louder call. "Sachi! Breakfast!"
Startled out of her reverie by her mother's call, the young child quickly climbed to her feet and ran off towards the wonderful smell that was tickling her nose. Today was the first of the week, and that always meant her favorite meals all day long.
Sachi burst through the door, a shooting star of energy and youthful enthusiasm, as always. And as always, the stern hand caught her by the back of the collar as she ran by, and lifted her into the air as it had dozens upon dozens of times before.
"Now Sachi, what have your mother and I always told you about wandering out in the fields alone?" A knowing smile played on her father's face. His bright hair shone in the morning light, as his arm held her aloft despite her persistent struggling.
"I know, I know, It's dangerous and something could happen and there are mean people in the world and I could get lost and then Mom's heart would break and you'd never get over it and you and Mom would cry for the rest of your lives and..." Sachi had heard her mother give the speech too many times to count, but she loved the fields; running through the tall grass, letting the sun wash over her face, and playing with the birds were things that brought her boundless joy every day. She knew her father understood, but he always lectured her anyways. ".. and it would be the end of the world, all because of me."
"Well I don't know about all that..." His smile brought one of her own to her face as he unceremoniously let her plop back to the ground. "But it is dangerous... So don't do it." He leaned down out of his chair and winked. "And if you do, don't let Mom find out, ok?" Sachi giggled and ran off to get ready for breakfast.
"Really dear, you're too easy on her. She has to learn not to always go running off alone, or one day we're going to lose her." Miya set the fresh soup bowls down on the matted floor, turning to look at her husband with a scathing look that conveyed her disapproval with his 'lecture'.
"Now look, honey, the girl just loves being outside, it calls to her. You were like that once too, is it really so bad?" He knelt down before his breakfast, inhaling deeply.
"You know as well as I do, things aren't the same these days. With all the warlords' squabbling over the lands, and their pet Samurai, it's hardly safe for anyone to be out alone, not to mention an innocent young girl like Sachi. And with you out so often with your work..." Miya let out a deep sigh, her kimono rising and falling with her breath. "I'm just concerned for her." She was sorry she'd mentioned her husband's practice, she knew he'd be leaving again soon.
"I understand, but we can't just keep her cooped up inside and try to make her frightened of the outside world all the time. She'll probably have to make her living in the fields, we shouldn't keep her from enjoying them. Besides, she's so happy out there."
She sighed again, she hated trying to convince her husband of anything, he was so single-minded, he could hardly ever see past the here and now. What if Sachi disappeared? What would they do without her? She was their life-- no, even more. She was their daughter. The culmination of their love for each other, and the center of all their care. She was the thing they cherished more than anything in the world.
"I guess Mother was right, we Caedon women do pick the most impractical and carefree men to go and fall in love with. What am I going to do with you? She's our daughter, for heaven's sake."
The man's eyes gleamed a light hazel, and a sheepish grin stumbled across his face. "That's precisely the reason we shouldn't hold her back." Setting his emptied bowl down, he stood and headed towards the door.
"Are you already leaving? Sachi hasn't even finished cleaning up yet.." Miya's voice was casual, but her eyes revealed the sorrow she felt at her husband's hurry to leave.
His loving smile eased her heart even as his amber eyes looked deep into her soul and told her how much he wished he could stay. "I know, but I hate saying goodbye to her every day, it hurts her, as if she's worried I won't come back. Besides, Mr. Shinta's son is very ill, I'll need as much time with him today as possible if I'm to help him through this." His smile melted slowly away, as he turned to go. "Tell Sachi I love her."
Miya looked after him with eyes full of concern for both her lifemate and her daughter. "Of course... and Crux?" Her husband's head turned back to face her, the morning hues highlighting his silver hair and bristly face. "Try not to be gone so long this time, alright?" One last precious smile from him, and he was out the door, and off towards the hills. The brilliant rising star in the sky silhouetted his form against the foliage, and then he was gone. Miya sighed and looked at her untouched breakfast. She wondered how long it would be before she would see her husband again, and turned to look into the morning sky...
***
The morning sky... As he marched over the hills, Crux remembered that day so long ago. Different choices that day could have led to a different life, a different destiny; but those were choices he had long since made, there was nothing he could do now. Changing the past was far beyond his abilities. All that was left to him now was to change the future. He closed his eyes and hoped he was equal to the task. His hand gripped the sheath of his sword tighter, and his thoughts drifted again, aimlessly. No, not quite aimlessly; they drifted away... away from the bittersweet memory of that day, a day he would never forget, for it was the last time he would see his wife and daughter alive.