Chapter 2.... Turning 23
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Ayame woke up and stretched her arms. She turned to her right and saw no one on Rikimaru's bed.
"He's early", Ayame concluded
Ayame stood up and went outside. She observed the people as they passed by, doing their morning jobs. Tatsumaru approached Ayame with his hands hidden on his back.
"Good morning Ayame!" Tatsumaru greeted
"Good morning too." Ayame greeted back, "What is your hand doing in your back?"
Tatsumaru removed his hands from his back; he was holding a set of lavenders. He gave it to her and smiled.
"Happy twenty-third birthday, Ayame!" Tatsumaru greeted cheerfully
"Was today my birthday?!" Ayame gasped
"Yup!-and I'm the first to give you a present", Tatsumaru proudly said
"Thank You!"
Tesshu approached Ayame and Tatsumaru while holding a package covered with pink papers. He gave it to Ayame and greeted her the same, cheery "Happy birthday".
"So I guess you're going to receive lots of presents today" Tatsumaru said
"Maybe, well thank you for both of you're gifts, and thanks for reminding me that it's my birthday", Ayame said
Rikimaru silently observed the three, in the corner of their house, as they started chatting about Ayame's birthday. After some seconds he left without a sound.
"Hey, have you chosen the one?" Tatsumaru asked
"The who?" Ayame asked
"Every time a lady turns twenty-three, she chooses the man that she would marry", Tatsumaru explained
"Marry?" Ayame said; flabbergasted
Rikimaru walked along the town circle, examining the things that could be a birthday present for Ayame. He passed the blacksmith and the gem's shop, but none of them seems to be a good present for Ayame, besides she never said something about those. Rikimaru wondered what she would like, a new blade perhaps or something different, something she doesn't have, those thoughts were answered when he passed the shop of kimonos.
"May I help you sir?" the lady in the kimono asked, "What are you looking for sir?"
"A gift for my partner's twenty-third birthday", Rikimaru replied with outmost respect on his tone
"Ah, for lady Ayame?" the lady asked
Rikimaru nodded.
"What about giving her kimonos? We have the finest kimonos made from the finest silks." The lady said as she showed Rikimaru some colorful, decorated kimonos
"I don't think she likes to wear kimonos"
"Why is that sir?"
"She never wears one"
The lady still showed him some other kimonos.
"How about combs?" the lady suggested
She showed him lots of combs in different colors, but Rikimaru's attention was caught by one of the kimono's, that was neatly displayed. It was a white kimono with red flowers printed on it. A white, smooth silk was wrapped in it's waist with red ties overlapped in the white cloth. Beside the kimono was a red lace made from the finest silk in the town.
"How much was that?" Rikimaru asked as he pointed out the red and white kimono with the red lace
"Good choice sir. That was our masterpiece, made in the most expensive silk, it costs one hundred thousand yen" the lady replied
Rikimaru placed a medium size pouch, filled with golden coins, on the lady's hand. The lady looked at the pouch, then to him.
Ayame rubbed her hand and faced Tesshu and Tatsumaru.
"Actually, I never thought of marrying before. I don't even thought about love and stuffs about it, these things are forbidden if you're a ninja" Ayame explained
"That's alright Ayame. As long as you're happy!" Tatsumaru said
"Thank you Tatsumaru, I'm really glad that you're my friend" Ayame replied
"Ayame!!!!!!!!", Kiku called out
Ayame turned to Kiku. She was wearing a yellow kimono, and she was holding a small box wrapped in yellow. Kiku approached Ayame.
"So I wasn't the first to give Ayame a present" Kiku said as she noticed Tesshu and Tatsumaru
"It's ok, besides you're the third" Tesshu said to cheer her a bit
Kiku gave the present to Ayame and greeted her a very cheerful happy birthday.
"By the way that present was from me and my dad" Kiku reminded
"Thank you Kiku" Ayame said gratefully
"Ayame, father summons you on our house, he said it's important" Kiku said
Ayame went to her house and lay the presents on her bed, after that she and Kiku entered Lord Gohda's house. Lord Gohda sat on his chair, Kiku sat beside him. Ayame scanned the room and found Rikimaru on the middle right of the room, kneeling down in his right knee. Ayame knelt down across Rikimaru's side.
"We have good news and a bad news" Lord Gohda announced
"The good news is, Tenrai's body was found, in the river near the Ronin village, dead."
"Dead?!" Ayame gasped
"With most of his bones, misplaced and broken. Our fifth unit found him yesterday."
"Who could have defeated Tenrai?" Rikimaru asked
"That's the bad news. No one saw a thing on who killed him." Lord Gohda explained
"Whoever killed Tenrai was powerful" Rikimaru concluded
"That is all for now, units were sent to search areas that are near the Ronin village. Both of you can go now" Lord Gohda said as he dismissed them, "By the way, happy birthday Ayame"
"Thank you Lord Gohda" Ayame replied
Ayame stood up, and so did Rikimaru, he approached Ayame with a package on his hand. The package was wrapped in red. Ayame turned to Rikimaru and accepted the package.
"Happy twenty-third birthday, partner"
"Thank you"
Lord Gohda and Kiku giggled. Rikimaru left, followed by Ayame.
Ayame proceeded to their house and Rikimaru went to their house too.
"Riki, who do you think killed Tenrai?" Ayame asked while walking
"Someone that was not known to us before", Rikimaru replied
Then they reached their house, Ayame went to her bed and opened Tesshu's present, five sharp and new shurikens with two poisoned blades, the Dokuto blades.
"Tesshu did a great job building these for me" Ayame said
Rikimaru sat on his bed and watched Ayame open some gifts.
Kiku gave a new pouch for her two blades. Rikimaru's attention was focused on Ayame as she opened his gift. Ayame scanned the kimono and the lace.
"I'm sorry if you don't wear kimonos" Rikimaru spoke up
Ayame turned to him and sat beside him. Rikimaru watched Ayame as tears fell from her eyes.
"Ayame?" Rikimaru asked as he rested his left hand on her shoulder
"I've... always... wanted a ... kimono... for ...my birthday" Ayame said in between sobs
"Ayame, it's ok" Rikimaru said
Rikimaru wrapped his arms around her and patted her back for comfort, while Ayame buried her face on his chest.
"and... I... got my ...kimono... from ... the most important ... person ...Rikimaru" Ayame said while still crying
Hot tears fell from Ayame's eyes, flowing to Rikimaru's shirt. Rikimaru wandered what was he doing, maybe his body worked against his own, or maybe something kept him close to her.
"Shhhhhhh. Stop crying Ayame" Rikimaru whispered
A knock on the door came. Ayame wiped her tears and placed the kimono softly on her bed. Rikimaru stood up and opened the door. Tesshu appeared on the doorstep with a black arrow in his hand. Rikimaru looked at him with his right eyebrow raised. A piece of paper was wrapped in the arrow.
"The arrows for you Ayame" Tesshu said seriously
kyutiekyutkyut: so the second chapter was finished. I had difficulty writing this!!!! Pls. review
Ayame woke up and stretched her arms. She turned to her right and saw no one on Rikimaru's bed.
"He's early", Ayame concluded
Ayame stood up and went outside. She observed the people as they passed by, doing their morning jobs. Tatsumaru approached Ayame with his hands hidden on his back.
"Good morning Ayame!" Tatsumaru greeted
"Good morning too." Ayame greeted back, "What is your hand doing in your back?"
Tatsumaru removed his hands from his back; he was holding a set of lavenders. He gave it to her and smiled.
"Happy twenty-third birthday, Ayame!" Tatsumaru greeted cheerfully
"Was today my birthday?!" Ayame gasped
"Yup!-and I'm the first to give you a present", Tatsumaru proudly said
"Thank You!"
Tesshu approached Ayame and Tatsumaru while holding a package covered with pink papers. He gave it to Ayame and greeted her the same, cheery "Happy birthday".
"So I guess you're going to receive lots of presents today" Tatsumaru said
"Maybe, well thank you for both of you're gifts, and thanks for reminding me that it's my birthday", Ayame said
Rikimaru silently observed the three, in the corner of their house, as they started chatting about Ayame's birthday. After some seconds he left without a sound.
"Hey, have you chosen the one?" Tatsumaru asked
"The who?" Ayame asked
"Every time a lady turns twenty-three, she chooses the man that she would marry", Tatsumaru explained
"Marry?" Ayame said; flabbergasted
Rikimaru walked along the town circle, examining the things that could be a birthday present for Ayame. He passed the blacksmith and the gem's shop, but none of them seems to be a good present for Ayame, besides she never said something about those. Rikimaru wondered what she would like, a new blade perhaps or something different, something she doesn't have, those thoughts were answered when he passed the shop of kimonos.
"May I help you sir?" the lady in the kimono asked, "What are you looking for sir?"
"A gift for my partner's twenty-third birthday", Rikimaru replied with outmost respect on his tone
"Ah, for lady Ayame?" the lady asked
Rikimaru nodded.
"What about giving her kimonos? We have the finest kimonos made from the finest silks." The lady said as she showed Rikimaru some colorful, decorated kimonos
"I don't think she likes to wear kimonos"
"Why is that sir?"
"She never wears one"
The lady still showed him some other kimonos.
"How about combs?" the lady suggested
She showed him lots of combs in different colors, but Rikimaru's attention was caught by one of the kimono's, that was neatly displayed. It was a white kimono with red flowers printed on it. A white, smooth silk was wrapped in it's waist with red ties overlapped in the white cloth. Beside the kimono was a red lace made from the finest silk in the town.
"How much was that?" Rikimaru asked as he pointed out the red and white kimono with the red lace
"Good choice sir. That was our masterpiece, made in the most expensive silk, it costs one hundred thousand yen" the lady replied
Rikimaru placed a medium size pouch, filled with golden coins, on the lady's hand. The lady looked at the pouch, then to him.
Ayame rubbed her hand and faced Tesshu and Tatsumaru.
"Actually, I never thought of marrying before. I don't even thought about love and stuffs about it, these things are forbidden if you're a ninja" Ayame explained
"That's alright Ayame. As long as you're happy!" Tatsumaru said
"Thank you Tatsumaru, I'm really glad that you're my friend" Ayame replied
"Ayame!!!!!!!!", Kiku called out
Ayame turned to Kiku. She was wearing a yellow kimono, and she was holding a small box wrapped in yellow. Kiku approached Ayame.
"So I wasn't the first to give Ayame a present" Kiku said as she noticed Tesshu and Tatsumaru
"It's ok, besides you're the third" Tesshu said to cheer her a bit
Kiku gave the present to Ayame and greeted her a very cheerful happy birthday.
"By the way that present was from me and my dad" Kiku reminded
"Thank you Kiku" Ayame said gratefully
"Ayame, father summons you on our house, he said it's important" Kiku said
Ayame went to her house and lay the presents on her bed, after that she and Kiku entered Lord Gohda's house. Lord Gohda sat on his chair, Kiku sat beside him. Ayame scanned the room and found Rikimaru on the middle right of the room, kneeling down in his right knee. Ayame knelt down across Rikimaru's side.
"We have good news and a bad news" Lord Gohda announced
"The good news is, Tenrai's body was found, in the river near the Ronin village, dead."
"Dead?!" Ayame gasped
"With most of his bones, misplaced and broken. Our fifth unit found him yesterday."
"Who could have defeated Tenrai?" Rikimaru asked
"That's the bad news. No one saw a thing on who killed him." Lord Gohda explained
"Whoever killed Tenrai was powerful" Rikimaru concluded
"That is all for now, units were sent to search areas that are near the Ronin village. Both of you can go now" Lord Gohda said as he dismissed them, "By the way, happy birthday Ayame"
"Thank you Lord Gohda" Ayame replied
Ayame stood up, and so did Rikimaru, he approached Ayame with a package on his hand. The package was wrapped in red. Ayame turned to Rikimaru and accepted the package.
"Happy twenty-third birthday, partner"
"Thank you"
Lord Gohda and Kiku giggled. Rikimaru left, followed by Ayame.
Ayame proceeded to their house and Rikimaru went to their house too.
"Riki, who do you think killed Tenrai?" Ayame asked while walking
"Someone that was not known to us before", Rikimaru replied
Then they reached their house, Ayame went to her bed and opened Tesshu's present, five sharp and new shurikens with two poisoned blades, the Dokuto blades.
"Tesshu did a great job building these for me" Ayame said
Rikimaru sat on his bed and watched Ayame open some gifts.
Kiku gave a new pouch for her two blades. Rikimaru's attention was focused on Ayame as she opened his gift. Ayame scanned the kimono and the lace.
"I'm sorry if you don't wear kimonos" Rikimaru spoke up
Ayame turned to him and sat beside him. Rikimaru watched Ayame as tears fell from her eyes.
"Ayame?" Rikimaru asked as he rested his left hand on her shoulder
"I've... always... wanted a ... kimono... for ...my birthday" Ayame said in between sobs
"Ayame, it's ok" Rikimaru said
Rikimaru wrapped his arms around her and patted her back for comfort, while Ayame buried her face on his chest.
"and... I... got my ...kimono... from ... the most important ... person ...Rikimaru" Ayame said while still crying
Hot tears fell from Ayame's eyes, flowing to Rikimaru's shirt. Rikimaru wandered what was he doing, maybe his body worked against his own, or maybe something kept him close to her.
"Shhhhhhh. Stop crying Ayame" Rikimaru whispered
A knock on the door came. Ayame wiped her tears and placed the kimono softly on her bed. Rikimaru stood up and opened the door. Tesshu appeared on the doorstep with a black arrow in his hand. Rikimaru looked at him with his right eyebrow raised. A piece of paper was wrapped in the arrow.
"The arrows for you Ayame" Tesshu said seriously
kyutiekyutkyut: so the second chapter was finished. I had difficulty writing this!!!! Pls. review