CHAPTER 2- THE INN
By the time midnight struck, the night had grown cold and windy. Or perhaps it was simply the atmosphere in such a city. Kyoto was, after all, a place of war and plunder.
The Inn was just as desolate as anywhere else, but it had a sense of meaning to a lone figure who crept from shadow to shadow. So quickly he moved, it was as if he feared the light of the moon and wished it not to touch him. His feet moved in rapid footfalls and his breath was somewhat ragged. His long ponytail, appearing bronze-red in the darkness, wavered high on his head. He didn't pause until he had come within just a few yards of his sanctuary. Then, he stopped dead, tapping into his senses. He would make sure he was the only one out on this frosty night.
But on this night, he wasn't alone, or at least he wouldn't be for long. His sharp ears could hear something, footsteps mixed in with the clip-clop of a horse's hooves. Amber eyes widening slightly, he ducked into the shadows of the Inn and the neighboring building. His hand took an instinctive position over the katana clipped faithfully at his side. As the sound grew louder, closer, he waited.
"Relax, Himura!" came a familiar voice. "It's only me!"
Himura straightened and stepped from the shadows. Tokaji came into view from around the bend, leading his mare. But then, he saw the horse's rider and froze. "Katsura.who is that?"
Pulling Sora to a halt, Tokaji reached up, gathered up the droopy-eyed child, and placed her down on the ground. "Himura, this is Hotaru-chan." He placed a hand on the girl's head. "Hotaru, this is Himura."
Himura's amber eyes flickered with curiosity, perhaps even amusement. "Where did you find this one?"
"I bought her!" Tokaji piped.
"Eh?"
"Never mind, I'll explain later. Come Hotaru-chan, we must put old Sora in the barn."
She broke into a grin. "Hai!"
They headed past the rather stunned Hitokiri, who watched them go, closed his eyes for a brief moment, then proceeded indoors. Questions could wait if he still felt like asking. But knowing Tokaji, it would be some story.
Hotaru tugged at Tokaji's sleeve. "Tokaji-san? How come Himura looks so mean?"
The youth took off the saddle and bridle and turned the mare loose in her stall. He sighed. "If he looked mean, I'm sure it wasn't intended."
"But he was frowning." Already she was talking up a storm.
Tokaji smiled. "Well, let's just say he's like that with everyone. The poor guy just can't smile now."
"Oh."
........
"Tokaji, what have you done now?" Katsura Kogoro demanded coolly. He must have asked Himura what was going on because he was waiting at the door for his son and Hotaru to come in.
Tokaji cursed inwardly. He hadn't actually thought about how his old man would react to him bringing a child. He put up his hands in defense. "Uh, well Pa, I sort of bought her."
Idzuka, Himura's droopy-eyed supervisor, peered around Kogoro to see. "Bought her? She looks like a slavegirl!"
"You hit the nail on the head!" Tokaji piped, uncomfortable under his father's heavy stare. "She was being sold at auction so I bought her!"
Kogoro straightened and rubbed his brow wearily. "It's too late in the night for this."
Hotaru peeked up at him from where she cowered behind Tokaji. She'd never seen someone so godlike! He was a giant! No wonder Tokaji seemed scared of him!
"Tokaji, living here would do her worse than being a slave!" Idzuka declared.
"But she'll be here on her own free will!" Tokaji protested. "Besides, she's only a kid! Where else does she have left to go?"
"Tokaji, you---
"Excuse me gentlemen! Excuse me!"
The conversation was brought to a halt by a short, gray-haired woman who scurried past them, struggling to carry a stack of rice bowls. However, as she passed through, she tripped. "Oh no!"
The plates went flying.
But they never crashed to the floor, much to everyone's surprise. Hotaru was sitting on the ground now, having caught them all with one grab!
Tokaji blinked for a second, then beamed. "Yeah! Good save!"
Okami-san, the elderly woman took one look at the child. Then, her eyes lit up and a wide smile stretched across her face. "Oh my! A little child! How adorable!"
Hotaru cocked her head shyly before smiling back. "Hiya!"
'So, Okami-san seems to like her,' Tokaji noted. He turned back towards his father. "Come on, Pa! Let her stay! It'll be good to have some extra help around here, don't you think?"
"Well, that was a good save," Kogoro agreed softly. Finally, he smiled slightly. "If you're willing to take full responsibility, then fine."
Tokaji beamed. "Hear that, Hotaru-chan? You get to stay!"
She turned back towards him and beamed. "Yay!"
By the time midnight struck, the night had grown cold and windy. Or perhaps it was simply the atmosphere in such a city. Kyoto was, after all, a place of war and plunder.
The Inn was just as desolate as anywhere else, but it had a sense of meaning to a lone figure who crept from shadow to shadow. So quickly he moved, it was as if he feared the light of the moon and wished it not to touch him. His feet moved in rapid footfalls and his breath was somewhat ragged. His long ponytail, appearing bronze-red in the darkness, wavered high on his head. He didn't pause until he had come within just a few yards of his sanctuary. Then, he stopped dead, tapping into his senses. He would make sure he was the only one out on this frosty night.
But on this night, he wasn't alone, or at least he wouldn't be for long. His sharp ears could hear something, footsteps mixed in with the clip-clop of a horse's hooves. Amber eyes widening slightly, he ducked into the shadows of the Inn and the neighboring building. His hand took an instinctive position over the katana clipped faithfully at his side. As the sound grew louder, closer, he waited.
"Relax, Himura!" came a familiar voice. "It's only me!"
Himura straightened and stepped from the shadows. Tokaji came into view from around the bend, leading his mare. But then, he saw the horse's rider and froze. "Katsura.who is that?"
Pulling Sora to a halt, Tokaji reached up, gathered up the droopy-eyed child, and placed her down on the ground. "Himura, this is Hotaru-chan." He placed a hand on the girl's head. "Hotaru, this is Himura."
Himura's amber eyes flickered with curiosity, perhaps even amusement. "Where did you find this one?"
"I bought her!" Tokaji piped.
"Eh?"
"Never mind, I'll explain later. Come Hotaru-chan, we must put old Sora in the barn."
She broke into a grin. "Hai!"
They headed past the rather stunned Hitokiri, who watched them go, closed his eyes for a brief moment, then proceeded indoors. Questions could wait if he still felt like asking. But knowing Tokaji, it would be some story.
Hotaru tugged at Tokaji's sleeve. "Tokaji-san? How come Himura looks so mean?"
The youth took off the saddle and bridle and turned the mare loose in her stall. He sighed. "If he looked mean, I'm sure it wasn't intended."
"But he was frowning." Already she was talking up a storm.
Tokaji smiled. "Well, let's just say he's like that with everyone. The poor guy just can't smile now."
"Oh."
........
"Tokaji, what have you done now?" Katsura Kogoro demanded coolly. He must have asked Himura what was going on because he was waiting at the door for his son and Hotaru to come in.
Tokaji cursed inwardly. He hadn't actually thought about how his old man would react to him bringing a child. He put up his hands in defense. "Uh, well Pa, I sort of bought her."
Idzuka, Himura's droopy-eyed supervisor, peered around Kogoro to see. "Bought her? She looks like a slavegirl!"
"You hit the nail on the head!" Tokaji piped, uncomfortable under his father's heavy stare. "She was being sold at auction so I bought her!"
Kogoro straightened and rubbed his brow wearily. "It's too late in the night for this."
Hotaru peeked up at him from where she cowered behind Tokaji. She'd never seen someone so godlike! He was a giant! No wonder Tokaji seemed scared of him!
"Tokaji, living here would do her worse than being a slave!" Idzuka declared.
"But she'll be here on her own free will!" Tokaji protested. "Besides, she's only a kid! Where else does she have left to go?"
"Tokaji, you---
"Excuse me gentlemen! Excuse me!"
The conversation was brought to a halt by a short, gray-haired woman who scurried past them, struggling to carry a stack of rice bowls. However, as she passed through, she tripped. "Oh no!"
The plates went flying.
But they never crashed to the floor, much to everyone's surprise. Hotaru was sitting on the ground now, having caught them all with one grab!
Tokaji blinked for a second, then beamed. "Yeah! Good save!"
Okami-san, the elderly woman took one look at the child. Then, her eyes lit up and a wide smile stretched across her face. "Oh my! A little child! How adorable!"
Hotaru cocked her head shyly before smiling back. "Hiya!"
'So, Okami-san seems to like her,' Tokaji noted. He turned back towards his father. "Come on, Pa! Let her stay! It'll be good to have some extra help around here, don't you think?"
"Well, that was a good save," Kogoro agreed softly. Finally, he smiled slightly. "If you're willing to take full responsibility, then fine."
Tokaji beamed. "Hear that, Hotaru-chan? You get to stay!"
She turned back towards him and beamed. "Yay!"
