Chapter Two
Long shadows were starting to creep over the ground. Aisu, as she was now called, had spent the warmer part of the day, washing her clothing and was now nimbly climbing up a tree so as to string a clothing line between two trees. She was distinctly aware of the fact that Seijuro was glancing at her every few minutes. Finally she jumped down from the tree hung up the clothing and gave him a questioning look.
"You're fast, and your agile" Seijuro mused mostly to himself. "How did you become that fast?"
"I ran away a lot. It's the only way to stay out of trouble when." Aisu trailed off, slightly suspicious. "Why would you care?"
"The Hiten Mitsurugi style revolves around speed." He shrugged and continued with his work.
"Teach me." She had walked over next to him.
"I already have an apprentice. I can't teach two, much less when they are at a different level."
"I will catch up."
"No."
"After you're done with your current apprentice?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because."
"That's not an answer." She walked away abruptly.
"Where are you going to go? You can't stay here. There's a town a days walk that way." Seijuro pointed in the same direction he had earlier. "I can take you there."
"I am not going back. I'd rather live in the woods than go back there." /So she comes from there// Seijuro noted.
"You have to go somewhere." Seijuro sighed.
Aisu walked to the side of the woods and picked up a stick.
"If I hit you before you hit me I stay. Otherwise I leave," she said, holding the stick like a sword.
"No. Swordsmanship isn't some stick game," Seijuro replied, somewhat annoyed by this time.
"So you think you can't do it?" Aisu replied in a taunting tone.
/Stupid girl. What did I get myself into// Seijuro wondered. He got up and faced her with his hand on the sword at his side.
"You're going to use that?" Aisu said, for the first time a little unsure.
"Swordsmanship isn't some stick game." Seijuro repeated and drew is sword, flipping the blade so as not to hurt her.
/This'll be over in a minute. I'll go easy to see what she can do. Pointless though, she can never become my apprentice, no matter how much skill she has.// Aisu wasn't moving but her eyes were narrowed in concentration. /I can't lose this. If I do I'll have to leave// Aisu thought desperately. Seijuro was coming towards her now. His first swing was slow and she ducked under it easily. His second was much faster and forced her to take a step backwards. Seijuro's attacks got faster and harder to dodge every time. Aisu stepped back more and more until she was finally pinned against a tree.
"The problem is," Seijuro continued, "dodging isn't the only part of swordsmanship. You have to attack as well. You can't rely on running and I'd say you're out of places to run."
Seijuro raised his sword and struck straight down. Aisu could see his sword coming. The only way to run was forward. Using the tree to push off, she launch herself on an almost crash course with Seijuro's knee. There was a loud crack as her stick broke against Seijuro's leg and a grunt as she landed ungracefully in the leaf litter behind Seijuro. /Damn, I underestimated her again. She's never going to let me live this down// Seijuro thought discontented. Behind him, Aisu was stirring. Her head was swimming from the unplanned impact with the ground, and she could taste blood in her mouth. She ignored her protesting head and got up to face Seijuro.
"I got you first," she said in a triumphant voice. "That means you teach me."
"Actually I never said 'yes' to your proposal and if you nearly knock yourself out on an attack that did so little damage I would suggest you keep running next time."
/Although that was pretty good// he added to himself, as he walked back towards that cabin. Aisu stared after him a disgusted look on her face.
"I'm not leaving." She shouted after Seijuro who gave no heed whatsoever.
She threw the rest of the stick at Seijuro's back, which did absolutely nothing, bouncing harmlessly to the ground. Aisu turned on her heels and walked into the forest. /You won't get rid of me that easily// she scowled to herself. After a ten-minute trek she found herself by a large oak. The one she had seen from Seijuro's clearing earlier. She promptly climbed up into the bows of the tree positioning herself so that she could see the clearing. /I am going to learn this Hiten Mitsurugi style of his. All I have to do is wait for his pupil to come back and then I can watch them train. I'll get you back for that one.//
Leaves were rustling below her. A boy, only few years older than her, was walking below. His hair was flaming red and he carried a pack with him as well as a sword. /So that's the apprentice. I'll learn, and I'll be better than you// she thought at the unsuspecting boy. /I'll prove to you that you should have taught me. I'll prove it to you, Seijuro.//
Long shadows were starting to creep over the ground. Aisu, as she was now called, had spent the warmer part of the day, washing her clothing and was now nimbly climbing up a tree so as to string a clothing line between two trees. She was distinctly aware of the fact that Seijuro was glancing at her every few minutes. Finally she jumped down from the tree hung up the clothing and gave him a questioning look.
"You're fast, and your agile" Seijuro mused mostly to himself. "How did you become that fast?"
"I ran away a lot. It's the only way to stay out of trouble when." Aisu trailed off, slightly suspicious. "Why would you care?"
"The Hiten Mitsurugi style revolves around speed." He shrugged and continued with his work.
"Teach me." She had walked over next to him.
"I already have an apprentice. I can't teach two, much less when they are at a different level."
"I will catch up."
"No."
"After you're done with your current apprentice?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because."
"That's not an answer." She walked away abruptly.
"Where are you going to go? You can't stay here. There's a town a days walk that way." Seijuro pointed in the same direction he had earlier. "I can take you there."
"I am not going back. I'd rather live in the woods than go back there." /So she comes from there// Seijuro noted.
"You have to go somewhere." Seijuro sighed.
Aisu walked to the side of the woods and picked up a stick.
"If I hit you before you hit me I stay. Otherwise I leave," she said, holding the stick like a sword.
"No. Swordsmanship isn't some stick game," Seijuro replied, somewhat annoyed by this time.
"So you think you can't do it?" Aisu replied in a taunting tone.
/Stupid girl. What did I get myself into// Seijuro wondered. He got up and faced her with his hand on the sword at his side.
"You're going to use that?" Aisu said, for the first time a little unsure.
"Swordsmanship isn't some stick game." Seijuro repeated and drew is sword, flipping the blade so as not to hurt her.
/This'll be over in a minute. I'll go easy to see what she can do. Pointless though, she can never become my apprentice, no matter how much skill she has.// Aisu wasn't moving but her eyes were narrowed in concentration. /I can't lose this. If I do I'll have to leave// Aisu thought desperately. Seijuro was coming towards her now. His first swing was slow and she ducked under it easily. His second was much faster and forced her to take a step backwards. Seijuro's attacks got faster and harder to dodge every time. Aisu stepped back more and more until she was finally pinned against a tree.
"The problem is," Seijuro continued, "dodging isn't the only part of swordsmanship. You have to attack as well. You can't rely on running and I'd say you're out of places to run."
Seijuro raised his sword and struck straight down. Aisu could see his sword coming. The only way to run was forward. Using the tree to push off, she launch herself on an almost crash course with Seijuro's knee. There was a loud crack as her stick broke against Seijuro's leg and a grunt as she landed ungracefully in the leaf litter behind Seijuro. /Damn, I underestimated her again. She's never going to let me live this down// Seijuro thought discontented. Behind him, Aisu was stirring. Her head was swimming from the unplanned impact with the ground, and she could taste blood in her mouth. She ignored her protesting head and got up to face Seijuro.
"I got you first," she said in a triumphant voice. "That means you teach me."
"Actually I never said 'yes' to your proposal and if you nearly knock yourself out on an attack that did so little damage I would suggest you keep running next time."
/Although that was pretty good// he added to himself, as he walked back towards that cabin. Aisu stared after him a disgusted look on her face.
"I'm not leaving." She shouted after Seijuro who gave no heed whatsoever.
She threw the rest of the stick at Seijuro's back, which did absolutely nothing, bouncing harmlessly to the ground. Aisu turned on her heels and walked into the forest. /You won't get rid of me that easily// she scowled to herself. After a ten-minute trek she found herself by a large oak. The one she had seen from Seijuro's clearing earlier. She promptly climbed up into the bows of the tree positioning herself so that she could see the clearing. /I am going to learn this Hiten Mitsurugi style of his. All I have to do is wait for his pupil to come back and then I can watch them train. I'll get you back for that one.//
Leaves were rustling below her. A boy, only few years older than her, was walking below. His hair was flaming red and he carried a pack with him as well as a sword. /So that's the apprentice. I'll learn, and I'll be better than you// she thought at the unsuspecting boy. /I'll prove to you that you should have taught me. I'll prove it to you, Seijuro.//