first proof of eight chapter
Road of two shadows
-Long night-
Rikimaru had seen a small brownish hut deeper in the forest. It had seemed to
be empty. He didn't sense anyone near it so he went to have a look. He thought
that it was better make sure there wouldn't be any traps, before he would carry
Ayame in.
As they had left the shore Ayame had passed out for a while. It was obvious that she had gotten some kind of a poison. Luckily Rikimaru had taken few bottles of poison antidote with him. Ayame was fussy and confused when she was awake, but Rikimaru didn't give her a change to sleep before she had drunk the whole bottle empty. He had left her behind. He had hided her in the forest, near the hut. He would get her in the hut as soon as he was sure that it was completely safe, no traps nor mines.
Rikimaru pushed the door open. It made horrible sound. He walked in and looked around the hut. The hut was small and it had only one room. Opposite the door was a window, but you couldn't see anything trough it because, outside, it was covered by leaves of small trees. Couple of cupboards, shelves, cans, chairs and table in middle of the room. There were also prospecting looking fireplace. One of the corners hold a small bed that was behind crapes.
As he walked outside he lurked in to a well in a small yard. There were water but would they dare to drink it or even taste it? Had it been poisoned?
Rikimaru put Ayame to the bed. He looked trough the closets and find blankets. He walked back to Ayame. She was awake again. He put the blanket on to her. She had probably even fewer, as her skin was hot. Why isn't the antidote working? Ayame seemed to get worse by every hour.
He gave Ayame another bottle of the antidote and she fell a sleep.
It was somewhere past midnight as it stardet raining. Rikimaru went to outside whit a casket that he thought could hold water. It took only minutes to get enough water for food and to drink, so heavy was the rain. In those couple minutes Rikimaru had noticed two chickens behind the hut. Those were badly hungered. Never the less he butchered them and took them in. Inside he had found some tea leaves and matches. What else could you need to make a supper. He tried to get Ayame eat something.
"Come on Ayame, you have to eat something…"
Rikimaru said trying to get her eat chicken soup that he had cooked. The soup was quite poor, but good enough to eat. Finally he got Ayame to eat couple of spoons of the soup, but no more.
"Are you sure we aren't dead?" she asked serious.
"If we were, would I bee feeding you?" He answered just as serious.
"Guess not then…"
Rikimaru tried to get up from the bed's side to take away the lazily eaten dinner, but Ayame got up to his hand.
"Where are you going…?" She asked her like a frightened little girl.
"I was just gona put the plate away…"
"Well, don't!....Leave…" She pleaded to Rikimaru. He had to put the plate to floor and turn to comfort her.
"I just don't want to be left alone, I just want to be near,… -somebody-…" She said pulling Rikimaru's arm. He didn't dear to argue. She seemed so upset that he took her in his arms like he had carried her in the hut.
Rikimaru had never seen Ayame like this. She snuggled up to his lap before Rikimaru get to stop her. He pulled the blankets tighter to her, leaning to the wall with his back and letting Ayame rest on him. Ayame's skin was burning whit the fewer, but still she complained to have shivers. In behave Rikimaru could feel shivers trough his spine as Ayame glued her self to him.
Silence laid around them for couple of minutes.
"I'm sorry Riki." Ayame said. "I'm so ashamed…"
"Don't be, you have no reason…"
Ayame took a tight grip his hand and pushed her head down against his chest.
"I'm talking about the river… The way I attacked to you…"
"It was the poison that made you do it…"
"I could have killed you!" She said angrily, mainly to her self, sniffling a little. She whipped away her own tears.
"Maybe, but here I am. Don't you worry Ayame… Past don't matter only the present" He said straitening Ayame's her.
As Rikimaru thought that she was a sleep, she talked again.
"Gohda sent you, right?"
"Yes, he did"
"… That's what I thought of…"
"You should try to rest now, we are leaving as the morning comes." He said to Ayame who seemed to be out of reach, even as she was leaning to him. She was purly for the many chemicals in her brain.
Ayame put her head so close to his chest that she could hear his heart beating. It was bit of restless beat, but it comforted her. Best thing in this situation was that she could blame all this the poison. Did she really have to almost get killed before she would have an excuse to get this close to him?
She well a blissful sleep, knowing to be safe.
"Ayame" He asked cautiously, but didn't get any answer. He still staid in the bed, keeping her close. Partly he was there because of the exhaustion, partly for something else.
He wanted to keep her safe, so nothing nor anything, wouldn't make her feel as bad as now. Last one of those three candles that he had lightened to the table was now going out. It was the early autumn and darkness had over come the lightness of the summer.
Rikimaru watched how the last shafts of light reflected on Ayame's face. He watched her tick eyelashes, tender lines that her closed eyes made to her face and her strong, girly cheekbones. She had probably gone trough some tuff time; Ayame was paler than Geishas and she had lost weight. And still she was more desirable to kiss than any Geisha. Thoughts passed Rikimaru's mind.
Later Rikimaru sat down one of the chairs. Watching Ayame sleep in the bed. There she was now, but would he be able to help her.
He leaned the table and dosed of.
It was very early, still the night, and it still rained. Ayame was in a deep sleep, maybe even too deep. She breathed heavily and coughed once in a while and made Rikimaru to wake up and walk beside her. Every time he walked to her he checked that the blandishes hadn't got of or was she awake. She never was.
Rikimaru had again dozed of leaning his arms against the table. He didn't sense someone moving at the yard, heading to the door. Old, creaking door made a grumbling noise as it gave up and let in a man whit a burnish frock.
The man had a long white beard and he walked whit a help of a walking stick that was higher than he. He was all wet and cowl was covering his face so he didn't see where was he had come. He twisted around pointlessly before he made a contact whit one of the chairs.
Before the chair had fallen, Rikimaru was standing in front of the man, ready to kill him if he would make any sudden moves.
"Show your face!" Rikimaru demanded for the man.
"Excuse me, I hope I'm not disturbing anything…" Said the man and took of
his cowl.
He had an old mans face and lovingly eyes witch he directed to Rikimaru
continuing his sentence.
"I was looking for some shelter and I saw this cottage and thought why not….?"
Rikimaru thought that the stranger would not like to do any harm to them;
after all he was just looking for some shelter, as for the rainy night.
Rikimaru put Izayoi away and gave the man little room to move.
"I guess its fine, you don't seem to be from around here, do you?"
"No." Old man said quickly. He lifted the chair that he had pounced on to and sat on it. Rikimaru sat back to his chair as the old man was making himself comfortable in a small wooden chair. As he had stopped doing that his eyes met the vaporing water kettle.
"May I?" He asked pointing the kettle.
"Help yourself." Rikimaru said, but still he rose to look for a cup for the
man. He went trough all the shelves before he found a decent cup. Wheil he was
doing that he was still cautious and kept an eye on what was the man doing.
The old man had fished a napkin somewhere of his sleeves and was now drying his face and neck.
"So I guess this isn't your house?" He asked for Rikimaru.
"No." He said handing the cup for the man. Rikimaru also gave him a plate full of the poor chicken soup. He sat down his chair crossing his arms. Old man didn't know what to say, he was probably too hungry. Rikimaru looked him in wonder as the old guy stardet un-back his backpack instead of eating the soup. He lifted the table three oranges and dressed them to Rikimaru.
"No, you don't have to give me anything…"
"Ou, come on, don't be foolish… If you don't want them, I'm sure that she could need some refreshment." Old man said and handed his hand towards Rikimaru:" I'm Lowasho"
"Rikimaru" He said giving him his hand pit of uncertain. Old man called Lowasho stardet eating his soup.
"Rikimaru, ha? That's a strange name…" Lowasho remembered Rikimaru's
previous question.
"I came from north, behind the big mountains."
"So you are not taking sides in this war, just passing trough?"
"We, my people, didn't even know about this war of yours. I have come far away and there, we have our own… problems, to solve"
"I see" Rikimaru said not daring to ask more questions.
Ayame maid a sound of tiredness as she turned aside. Lowasho eat his soup
and turned his head to Ayame as Rikimaru walked beside her. He sat next to her.
"Are you awake Ayame?" Rikimaru asked feeling her forehead.
Lowasho stood up and walked to the shelves looking for something.
"I'm hungry, do we have anything to eat?" Ayame asked Rikimaru, not caring
the old man in the room. Ayame tried to rise up to sit, but she was too weak
and Rikimaru had to back her up. She was still very sleepy. It probably was
because the antidote wasn't strong enough. It should have effected as soon as
it entered her mouth. Ayame leaned her body against Rikimaru's chest. Lowasho
walked to them as he had peeled one of the oranges of the table. He gave the
vegetable to Rikimaru after he had taken one piece for himself.
"Delicious." Lowasho said and walked back to his soup.
Quite true, thought Rikimaru as he tasted the orange.
"Okhay Ayame, maybe this will help you to get better…" Rikimaru said to Ayame
who had some difficulties to stay awake.
Slowly she eat the legumes that Rikimaru gave to her. First she had taken them in her own hand, but soon she realized that she was too weak even to do minor moves. So she just let Rikimaru feed her like a helpless bird.
When she did get the last bite down, Rikimaru tossed her back to bed. Lowasho had shredded his blankets to the floor and sat on them, his legs crossed. He closed his eyes and put his hands to his knees. He sighted deep couple of times before he closed his hands to a praying position.
Lowasho had stayed like that at least an half an hour as he suddenly opened
his eyes.
"Still staying up?" He said to Rikimaru who had moved his chair next to the bed
and watched Ayame sleep.
"Yes." Rikimaru answered still not taking his eyes of the sleeping beauty.
"You should get some rest, you both have long way to home."
Now Rikimaru turned his head to watch Lowasho.
"I get rest as I get her safe."
"I understand you, my boy… Wish I would have such energy as you young people seem to have."
The old man get to lay down the blankets that he had sat on. Rikimaru watched Ayame and then again the old man. He seemed so relaxed in middle of these troubles, like no worry in the world. He had peace and wisdom in him.
"May I ask you a question?" Rikimaru asked curiously.
"Why not, I'm open for little conversation…"
"How have you found the balance in your live…?"
"Now, why do you ask me, a question like that?" He paused. "You are asking me, how do people find the peace, the happiness, the true meaning of their existence?"
He made Rikimaru smile,
"Yeah, I guess I'm asking you that…"
"Well, everyone is a special case Rikimaru." Lowasho said in a quite serious tune. "You are a ninja, right, and your purpose is to live and to serve others, am I right?"
Rikimaru nodded.
"So, shouldn't that be your balance, live by orders, not questioning your… master…?"
Rikimaru was going to say something, but Lowasho interrupted him.
"…And did it work?" He asked.
"…Yes it did."
"For a while…?"
"Are you rewiring to your own experience?"
"Maybe. Never the less I know, that people, times and things change or then
you just see your life, and your coals different than the day before…"
Old Lowasho laughed as he said that. "Live has its own way to fool you…"
"Guess you are right about that…" Rikimaru said not completely sadisvaided for the answer he had got.
"Don't you worry too much, you can easily waste a live time doing that…"
Lowasho jawned.
And whit that he fell a sleep.
Outside the rain thickened and water started tripping trough the roof. Rikimaru put a basket under it and went back to Ayame.
-"I can not let myself or the others down, that's why I have to worry. I can not let… I can not let my guard down even as it means deseeding myself or I might end up doing something… stupid"
He didn't know what he was himself revering to. For many years now he had had this feeling of needing more to his life… But how could that even be possible. When his life was to be a ninja; to live and to die alone?
Ayame moved for her sleep. Rikimaru watched her stretched figure. It must have been awful for her, he thought. He pleashed her hair off of her face, gently wallowing her jaw line. Ayame turned to her other side giving her back to Rikimaru. He had to again stop the blankets from falling of.
Outside, the sky kept on sobbing, the rivers fluting over grazing the number of waterfalls. Autumn was pringing a new challenge for every soul whit out shelter.
Authors note: I am gonna let you in a little secret: I really have no
idea, how to end this fic.
But don't you worry, I will end it!! Someday…
